Chattanooga 5, Alabama State 2
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s tennis team made it two-straight wins with a 5-2 victory at Alabama State today. The Mocs overcame a 2-0 deficit to score their first true road win of the season.
Alabama State took the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and No. 3. Sophomore Derrick Brown and junior Nick Wingord avoided the doubles sweep with their (7-5) win over Takura Mlambo and Karlo Skvorc at No. 3.
The Hornets kept the scoring going when Mlambo defeated junior Pavels Grigorjevs (6-1, 6-4) at No. 1. UTC was also down a set at No. 2 and Wingord was in the middle of a tough battle at No. 3.
“The guys showed a lot of heart in the way they came together as a team and battled back” stated head coach Carlos Garcia. “Nothing was going our way early, but we managed to stick together and get a win.”
Chattanooga won all five of the remaining singles, beginning with sophomore Nic Wilson at No. 4. Junior Luke Saunders scored his third straight singles win and tied the match at 2-2 with a victory at No. 4.
Wingord fought off Ronaldo Matabo (7-5, 6-2) at No. 3 to give Chattanooga a 3-2 lead. Junior Gino Delavalle clinched the match at No. 6, his third singles victory in a row. Sophomore Lucas Plesky battled back for a three set win at No. 2 to close out the match.
“This was a great win for our team because our backs were against the wall,” added Garcia. “I feel as if we became better as a team today after winning in tough conditions on the road.”
Georgia 7, ETSU 0
ATHENS, Ga. - The ETSU men's tennis team pushed the fifth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs, winners of six NCAA titles, to the brink Thursday, forcing four three-set matches in singles play before suffering a deceivingly disparate, 7-0 loss at the Lindsey Hopkins Indoor Tennis Facility in Athens, Ga.
"ETSU is a very deep and talented team," Georgia head coach Manuel Diaz said. "They pushed us to our limits today in every match."
Diaz, in his 27th season at Georgia, has led the Bulldogs (14-2) to four NCAA championships (1999, 2001, 2007, 2008).
"I was impressed with their fight and quality of play on every court," Diaz added. "They are every bit as good as most teams we have played against this year, and we have played some of the best teams in the nation. Coach Zaatini and Coach Rojas have that program pointed in the right direction."
The Buccaneers' three doubles teams each fell by a single service break, with the No. 1 and No. 2 spots both being decided by 6-4 margins. At No. 3 Doubles, Conner Huertas and Diego Nunez suffered a narrow, 7-5 setback.
In singles play, David Biosca , Huertas, Sebastian Yllera, andIsmael Merino each fell in hard-fought three-set matches at their respective positions.
Biosca, Huertas, and co-captain Rogerio Ribeiro posed formidable challenges to nationally-ranked opponents.
Huertas took No. 15 Nathan Pasha to the wire at No. 3 Singles, coming back from one set down to force a decisive third set which Pasha captured narrowly, 7-6 (7-2). Biosca also responded from a one-set deficit to force a third set, eventually falling to No. 30 Austin Smith, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-2), at the No. 1 spot. Meanwhile, Ribeiro tested No. 17 Wayne Montgomery at No. 2 Singles, with Montgomery earning a slim, 6-4, 6-4 win.
"By no means am I satisfied with the result, but looking at a positive aspect of the defeat, I can say there is a lot of growth in this young Buccaneer team," ETSU head coach Yaser Zaatini said. "Even though the score seems lobsided, I thought the guys fought extremely hard and showed courage all across the board."
The Buccaneers, who have gone toe-to-toe with six nationally-ranked teams in non-conference action, open Southern Conference play Saturday, March 21 at UNC Greensboro.
"Despite the loss, I believe our team is blossoming and peaking at the right time. We have a long road ahead against some tough teams, but I believe the early challenges of the season are going to help us be ready to cross the finish the line with some speed. I love what I saw from our guys today."