Eagles Tangle With #8 Holy Cross
Crystal Lake, IL - The Judson Eagles faced a formidable challenge in their second conference match of the regular season, falling 4:0 to a Holy Cross team ranked No. 8 in the nation.
The contest began with an intense doubles round where the Eagles worked to establish a competitive rhythm against the Saints. At the top doubles flight, Florian Koppitsch and Brayden Kopp battled through a close set but ultimately fell 4:6. The No. 3 pairing of Cesar Otondo and Julius Fortun fought similarly hard, ending their set with an identical 4:6 scoreline to secure the doubles point for Holy Cross.
Meanwhile, the duo of Joshua Bavich and Brock Dawson was locked in a back-and-forth 4:5 struggle at the second position when the point was decided, leaving their match unfinished.
In singles play, the Eagles demonstrated considerable grit while navigating the depth of a top-ten opponent. Brayden Kopp and Javier Sanchez led the charge at the first and second positions, facing relentless pressure from the Holy Cross leaders before falling in straight sets. At the No. 3 spot, Nicolas Donoso also faced a tough challenge against his ranked counterpart.
Because Holy Cross reached the four points necessary for the team victory, the remaining matches remained unfinished.
Despite the score, several Eagles were in the middle of strong performances when play was halted. Florian Koppitsch showed great resilience at No. 4 singles; after dropping the opening set, he roared back to claim the second 6:2 and was early in the third set.
Similarly, Luca Zandboer claimed his opening set 6:3 at the No. 6 position.
The Eagles now shift their focus to Saturday's home match against Olivet Nazarene for Senior Night, where they look to honor their veterans with a victory.
