This weekend, the Flyer men's tennis team took on Temple (8-8) in the last regular season conference match-up, trying to get into the groove, before the Atlantic-10 tournament starts April 5. The Flyers (9-10), hosted the Owls at the NCR courts, trying to improve their conference resume before the conference tourney.

After a strong performance by the entire Flyer squad, the team defeated the Owls 5-2. The win gave the team their third win in the conference, where their record now sits at the .500 mark. The team has now won three of four, and is gaining steam while rolling toward the season finish line.

This Temple match followed the spring break trip, where the Flyers spent their break in Fort Myers, Fla. During the three-day swing, the Flyers played against Fairleigh Dickinson, Wisconsin- Green Bay, and Florida Gulf Coast.

'The spring break trip was extremely beneficial for the team because we were able to win two out of the three matches,' senior Rex Cabrera said. 'I believe that the trip gave our young team a sense of confidence because we were able to see the bright spots on our team as our level of play begins to rise as the season goes on.'

The first match of the trip was a 4-3 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson. Although only two Flyers won their singles matches, the Flyers won two of the three doubles matches to take the overall match. Michael Rohana defeated Priit Gross of the Devils. Rex Cabrera then defeated Alex Nace 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, and David Peyton continued the victory trend by defeating Kyle Eddins.

When the doubles matches came around the Flyer team of Tom Murphy and James O'Connell defeated Phil Stephens and Alex Nace 8-6. Clinching the victory, the team of Michael Rohana and Antonio Rodriguez defeated Esteban Blanko and Justin Seow 8-6.

The Flyers then swept through the Wisconsin-Green Bay match, with a score of 7-0.

Finally the team wrapped up the trip against Florida Gulf Coast, but lost a heartbreaker 5-4. Tom Murphy won his 14th match of the season during this day, putting him at 14-3 on the year, leading the team in wins.

'I think that the trip was a great opportunity for the team to enjoy some competitive tennis and at the same time have fun,' Cabrera said. 'With the busy schedule we have had throughout the season, it was nice for the team to be able to relax in such a nice area.'

Next for the Flyers is a date with Wright State, across town in Fairborn. The cross-town rivalry has been taking place for years now in not just tennis but in other sports as well. In the past, the rivalry has been dominated by the Flyers.

'Wright State is a match I am looking forward to playing.' Cabrera said. 'During my time here at UD, we have not lost to them, and I plan on keeping it that way. It will be a good match for the team, however it will be a tough one considering they have had a good season.'

Following the Wright State match, the team will have back-to-back home matches with Northern Kentucky and Valparaiso on Friday and Saturday before starting up the A-10 Tournament in Pittsburgh starting on April 5.

Northern Kentucky will bring in a record of 5-6 to the match Friday. Valparaiso will bring its 2-8 record to Dayton after they meet with Chicago State on Wednesday. These final three regular season games will prove to be pivotal for the Flyers.

According to Cabrera, coach Steve Brumbaugh has been actively trying to get the team ready for the matches not only physically but mentally in order to be prepared for each match that they play.

This preparation will go a long way in helping the team throughout the rest of the season.