Coastal Carolina 5, UNCG 2
CONWAY, S.C. - UNCG got a pair of wins at the top of the singles lineup but dropped a road contest at Coastal Carolina on Tuesday, 5-2.
Orcun Seyrek rolled to a 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 1 over Danny Heidecker to even the score after the Chanticleers (8-1) won the doubles point. Ahmet Sarioglu picked up the other point for UNCG (4-6), taking a 7-5, 3-6, 6-0 win over Leo Christofides at No. 2.
CCU won the remaining singles points to complete the victory. Yusuke Kusada, the reigning Big South Conference Player of the Week, earned a 6-3, 6-2 over Chanon Varapongsittikul at No. 3. Matias Di Pasquale downed Randy Phillips at No. 4, 6-2, 5-7, 1-0 (10-5).
Garik Yedigarian downed Cameron Smith at No. 5, 6-2, 6-3, and Sam Barr clinched the match with a 6-2, 1-6, 6-0 win over Jimmy Roueche at No. 6.
In doubles play, Phillips and Varapongsittikul got UNCG off on the right foot with an 8-4 win over Heidicker and Yedigarian at No. 2.
Barr and John Karle pulled the Chants even with an 8-3 win over Roueche and Smith at No. 3, and Di Pasquale and Kusada clinched the point for CCU with an 8-6 win over Seyrek and Sarioglu at No. 1.
UNCG returns to Southern Conference play at The Citadel on Thursday at 1 p.m.
College of Charleston 5, Xavier 2
BOCA RATON, Fla. - Sophomore Crescente Lesser led the College of Charleston men's tennis team to a successful 2-0 spring break road trip to south Florida by clinching a 5-2 dual-match victory over Xavier on Tuesday afternoon at Patch Reef Park.
Lesser won the deciding point defeating Xavier's Brandon MacDonald, 6-4, 6-3, at No. 4 singles. The Cougars (4-2) snapped the Musketeers' (5-7) three-match win streak and have now won two in a row with a 5-2 decision over Florida Atlantic on Monday.
CofC had to gain ground in singles, after dropping the doubles point with one lone victory at the top of the order by senior Mickael Trintignac and junior Kyle Parker over Xavier's top duo of Mesa Mei and Jimmy Roebker, 8-4.
Sophomore Brice Allanic leveled the match at one-all holding Michael Moe to only two service games in a 6-1, 6-1 victory at No. 5 singles, while Trintignac later put the Cougars out front 2-1 with a 6-1, 6-3 tally over Roebker at No. 1.
Senior Tom Delme also won in straight sets against Mei, 6-2, 6-3, at the No. 2 line with Lesser securing the final point at No. 4.
"We got off to a flat start in the match, but ended fighting like we should," CofC Head Coach Jay Bruner said. "We showed improvement in our attitude and playing as a team for the complete match."
After the match, the Cougars enjoyed some down time on South Beach. They will return home to Charleston to prepare for a Sunday, March 11 non-conference match against UNC Charlotte slated for 11 a.m. (ET) at the CofC Tennis Center at Patriots Point in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
East Carolina 5, The Citadel 2
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Elliott Sperr and Alex Howle earned victories for The Citadel in a 5-2 loss to East Carolina in the first of four home matches this week at the Earle Tennis Center. The Bulldogs dropped to 4-4 on the season while the Pirates improved their record to 9-4.
In No. 5 singles, Sperr defeated Damien Bernard in an exciting three-set match. The sophomore went up early taking the first set 6-2, but Bernard rallied from behind to take the second set 7-6. Sperr clinched the point for The Citadel winning the third 7-5. The Porter Gaud graduate leads the Bulldogs with six wins on the season.
Howle added a point for the Bulldogs defeating David Masciorini in three sets in the No. 6 position. Similar to his teammate Sperr, Howle went up early taking the first set 6-4, but his Pirate foe recollected himself to take the second 6-3. In the tie-break, Howle sealed the win taking the set 10-8. The freshman improved his dual record to 4-3.
Dillon Berkabile, although unable to claim a victory, played a thrilling match against Niels Cleeren. Playing in the No. 3 position for the first time this season, Berkabile forced his opponent to three sets after falling in the opening set 6-2. The sophomore would use the momentum to carry him through the second set to take it 6-2 but would lose 6-3 in the final set. Berkabile is now 1-2 on the season.
East Carolina claimed the doubles point by sweeping the Bulldogs in in all three positions. David Orces and Peter Bleach fell to Joran Vliegen and Cleeren in the No. 1 position 8-4, dropping The Citadel duo to a 4-2 record. In the No. 2 slot, Berkabile and James Atkinson fell to Nicolas Soriano and Bernard 8-5, and in the No. 3 spot, Sperr and Howle were defeated by Patriek Wolterbeek and John Schmitt 8-4.
The Dogs will return to the courts again on Wednesday as they host James Madison at 1 p.m. at the Earle Tennis Center.