On Saturday, May 2, the Loomis Chaffee boys varsity tennis team earned a 4-2 road win over Salisbury, improving to 8-4 on the spring season.  

With intermittent morning showers forcing the match indoors, the teams competed inside Salisbury’s three-court bubble. 

Loomis opened doubles play with strong starts on the top two courts. At No. 2 doubles, senior Teema Thanunmanee and sophomore Hayden Meskin controlled play throughout an 8-2 victory. The Pelicans nearly secured an early point at No. 1 doubles as senior captain Alex Park and junior Dylan Torizzo built a 6-3 lead before Salisbury rallied for an 8-6 win in a tightly contested set. At No. 3 doubles, junior Ethan Zhou and freshman Nathan Xu recovered from a slow start and raised their level late in the match, but Salisbury held on for an 8-6 result to give the home team a 1-0 lead heading into singles. 

Loomis responded well in singles play, winning at the No. 1, No. 3, and No. 4 positions as the Pelicans embraced an aggressive style well suited for the fast indoor surface. Park set the tone with a dominant 6-0, 6-0 win at the top spot while Thanunmanee earned a 6-1, 6-2 victory at No. 3. Zhou added another point with a commanding 6-1, 6-1 performance at No. 4  

With Loomis holding a 3-2 advantage, junior Andy Yang stepped into a decisive match at No. 2 singles. After dropping the opening set 7-5, Yang adjusted his approach against his opponent, blending strong defense with timely offensive play. As a result, he secured a 5-7, 6-2, 10-6 comeback victory that clinched the match for the Pelicans. 

At No. 5 singles, Meskin took the opening set 6-2 before the match was stopped because of time constraints. 

The Pelicans face the Westminster Martlets on Friday, May 8, at Westminster.