After knocking on the door against Easton last week, the Whitehall boys tennis team was able to kick it down versus William Allen High School, netting their first win of the year.

On the heels of a close match against the Red Rovers, head coach Austin Berg felt their effort against a good Easton team was the springboard to victory against the Canaries. They seized on the momentum they had in winning three matches against Easton to catapult them to a 6-1 win over the league counterparts.

The win, the first for the Zephs this season, showcased their strength in doubles again as Daniel Herrera Acevedo and Jordan Saliby defeated Sam Miller and Michael Brunell in a pro set, 8-0. It was the only doubles match of the day since Allen didn't have enough players to play the rest of the spots, but it still marked the second consecutive win of the Acevedo-Saliby pairing.

In singles, No. 1 Islam Ahmed lost to Ian Miller 7-5, 4-6, 4-6. In No. 2 singles, Alex Rohn handled Nathaniel Stuart in two sets, 6-3, 6-1.

At No. 3, Gavin Meyers continued his winning streak, upending Sam Miller 6-4, 6-3. He also defeated Easton's Sergio Montes in a three-set match to begin the week.

Head coach Austin Berg said that they were able to finish Allen off in two sets due in large part to the optimism they felt heading into the match. He said he was encouraged by their play against Easton, and that enthusiasm carried over into their match against Allen. He said the players were highly motivated to get the win since they came so close against the Red Rovers. They knew they had the ability as evidenced by how well they played last Tuesday.

"It was the motivation we needed to win the match," said Berg. "They did what they had to do beat them."

With such a young team, he said they feed off one another, supporting and congratulating one another at every step.

They also played Emmaus last week, losing to the Green Hornets 7-0. Even though they lost, Berg was encouraged by their performance. Once again Herrera Acevedo and Saliby provided that spark of optimism as they extended their opponents, Justin Ke and Austin Long to three sets, eventually succumbing 2-6, 6-1, 6-0.

Berg said it was the first time in three years the boys have taken a set from Emmaus. It's a sign that they're moving in the right direction.

Additionally, Meyers was able to win a game in his match with Eric Ma. He wound up losing 1-6, 0-6.

Berg said that the team is playing spirited tennis and enjoying the game, and that's what they'll need to climb the ladder in the Lehigh Valley Conference.