With the absence of both the Red Hawks’ number one and number two singles players, an undermanned RPI squad responded with a remarkable 5-2 victory over a respectable Cardinal team.

“This was an outstanding team effort,” Rensselaer Head Coach Carol Pillsworth said. “The guys were playing up two spaces in the line-up and they all rose to the occasion.”

RPI was not aware until recently that they would be placed in such a desperate situation.

The team was conscious that they would be without their No. 1 singles player due to his decision to go on Co-op for the semester. However, the team only recently discovered they would be without the services of their No. 2 singles player, who abruptly quit the team.

But as history has proven, individuals often rise to the occasion when faced with adversity, and that is exactly what the Red Hawks did.

Captain Joaquin Denoya played well for RPI is his first ever doubles match while Joe Black and Joe Byrne played exceptionally well in the singles competitions.

“Everyone did well playing out of position,” Pillsworth said. “We won easily 5-2, but we could have just as easily lost 4-3. Black and Byrne have both worked very hard in practice and it paid off today.”

The team’s other captain, Borjan Gagoski, was another individual that took his game to another level when it mattered most.

After dropping the first set, Gagoski rebounded to win the remaining sets and with them his match.

With the distractions now behind them, Pillsworth feels the team will be better off in the long run, and can now focus on improving their individual and team performances.

“We need to work on our consistency and our serves,” Pillsworth said. “We cannot afford to give away points. We have to control the serves.”