O’Fallon tennis blanks Alton

The O’Fallon High boys’ tennis team kicked of their spring campaign with a bang, blanking the Alton Redbirds 9-0.

Singles play set the tone for the dual meet with the Panthers blasting their opponents in every flight. Dominic Macaluso set the tone with a straight set shutout at No. 1 singles, 6-0 and 6-0. Riley Muren, Shree Patel, Niko Papachrisanthou, Prem Patel and Drake Schreiber followed suit—each riding roughshod over their Redbird opponents. O’Fallon dropped only two games during singles play.

The Panthers’ effort in the doubles was no less impressive. Muren and Shree Patel teamed up at #1 to defeat Chapman and Moan 6-3, 6-1. Macaluso and Quincy Dollison dropped two games in their first set at #2 doubles but bounced back quickly to win in straight sets. Prem Patel and Adam Spihlman completed the rout of the Redbirds, winning 6-0 and 6-0 over Freeman and Ferenbach.

This past weekend, the OTHS squad traveled to Edwardsville for their first major tournament test of the campaign. After a full slate of matches, the Panthers emerged with mixed reviews, finishing tenth in the champions’ flight and first in the challengers’ division.

The O’Fallon varsity netters competed against a top-flight field in the champions division and completed the two-day event with a 2-2 record. The OTHS boys collected a pair of 3-2 wins over Peoria Richwoods and Dunlap but dropped decisions to MICDS 5-0 and Normal University High 4-1.

The O’Fallon B flight squad composed of second tier varsity and junior varsity players blasted their way to four consecutive wins to take the challengers’ division trophy. The Panthers won matches against Civic Memorial (4-1), Triad (4-1), Danville (4-1) and Robinson (3-2).

“We played relatively well against a very strong field of teams,” said O’Fallon coach Erin Thoman. “Our B squad did a great job and deserved the title. They were able to play more consistently than our varsity team and had fewer unforced errors which led to their 4-0 record. We are still looking at combinations of players to fill our varsity roster spots as we prepare for more Southwestern Conference matches.”

The O’Fallon squad will have their second crack at tourney play this weekend when they play in the Triad tournament.

This story was originally published April 8, 2016 at 9:22 AM with the headline "O’Fallon tennis blanks Alton."