The men’s tennis team went undefeated at the PTR Spring Tennis Fest in South Carolina, dominating their matches against West Liberty University and Millersville University to improve to 6-5 on the season overall.
The Chargers won 7-0 against West Liberty March 11, defeating their opponent in doubles play to secure the doubles point, and winning all six matches in singles play.
The Chargers won all three doubles matches with sophomores Ellis Klanduch and Henry Hammond grabbing a 6-1 win at No. 1 doubles, freshmen Samuel Plys and Eddie Bergelin grabbing a 6-2 win at No. 2 doubles, and freshmen Ryan Papazov and Rintaro Goda grabbing a 6-0 win at No. 3 doubles.
The Chargers swept the singles portion with Papazov at No. 2 singles, Hammond at No. 4 singles, and Goda at No. 6 singles securing a 6-0, 6-0 win.
Head coach Keith Turner said he was confident the Chargers could defeat West Liberty and he was happy when the team made it happen.
“West Liberty is a weaker team, and we knew that going into the match,” Turner said. “The guys did a good job of taking care of business.”
Goda said the match against West Liberty gave the Chargers more confidence as they headed into their second match in the PTR Spring Tennis Fest because it reacquainted the team with playing outdoor matches.
“The match on the 11th allowed us to get a better feel outdoors,” Goda said. “It also gave us confidence as we proved that we were able to perform in conditions we were not acclimated to.”
The Chargers won 6-1 against Millersville March 13, winning the doubles point and five of six singles matches.
In doubles, the Chargers won two of three matches with Klanduch and Hammond claiming a 6-2 victory at No. 1 doubles, and Goda and Papazov claiming a 6-3 victory at No. 3 doubles.
Bergelin pulled out a tough victory at No. 4 singles, pushing the match to a third set and winning 6-4, 1-6, 1-0. Freshman Alejandro Cordero Lopez fell short at No. 3 singles and lost 4-6, 3-6.
The Chargers will open up their G-MAC conference play this weekend as they travel to Kentucky to play against Kentucky Wesleyan College March 22 and Thomas More University March 23.
Turner said the Charger’s performance at the PTR Spring Tennis Fest got him excited for the rest of the season.
“We showed that we can perform well outside with limited practice time,” Turner said. “Our confidence is growing which is a good sign for the upcoming conference season.”
