ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – The St. Bonaventure University men's tennis team showcased their prowess with a decisive 6-1 victory over Ashland University Tuesday afternoon at the University Fitness Center. The Bonnies, eager to make their mark, began the match with impressive teamwork, executing a clean sweep of doubles action.
Leading the charge, the duo of Connor Turner and Chase Cahill-Welsh fought hard to clinch their match 7-5 at the top spot. Following suit were Anargha Ganguly and Davis Matney, who secured victory at No. 2 doubles with a score of 6-3. Rounding out the doubles success, the team of Alex Kim and Luke Ollivierre triumphed with ease, winning 6-2 at No. 3. The doubles point firmly established the Bonnies' dominance early on.
When singles play commenced, St. Bonaventure continued their stronghold on the match, with Turner, Ganguly, Matney, and Cahill-Welsh all earning victories in straight sets, which is no small feat. Kim also contributed significantly, battling back to win his match at No. 5 singles after dropping the first set. He finished with scores of 4-6, 7-5, and 10-6, showcasing resilience and determination.
“Connor Turner and Chase Cahill-Welsh battled to a 7-5 win,” said the St. Bonaventure Athletics team, emphasizing the grit displayed by their players.
The only blemish on St. Bonaventure's record came at No. 6 singles, where Ashland's Bernardo Duarte claimed victory over Marthinus Marais with decisive scores of 6-0, 6-0. It was clear, though, the Bonnies were firmly in control of this contest. With the victory behind them, the Bonnies are set to take on North Carolina A&T Monday, March 3, as reported by St. Bonaventure Athletics.
Meanwhile, over at Bridgewater, the University of Lynchburg men's tennis team mirrored this success, triumphing 6-1 against Bridgewater College during their first conference matchup of the season. The Hornets started their contest strong by sweeping all three doubles courts, earning the initial point.
Luca Morbioli and Timothee Depaquit claimed a close 6-4 victory on the top court, joined by Sebastian Soria and Alex Rintoul, who managed to produce one of the match's most impressive feats by 'breadsticking' their opponents with a swift 6-0 win at No. 2. Daniel Hardy and Jorge Patricio Zepeda fought through adversity to win their match 7-5 at the bottom court, setting the stage for the singles competition.
Moving to singles, Lynchburg remained unyielding, winning all but one match. Morbioli, solidifying his status as a key player, bageled his opponent at the top flight, finishing with commanding scores. The only setback for the Hornets came at No. 2 singles when Shadi Kallel succumbed to his rival, losing both sets 0-6.
Retrieving their momentum, Soria recovered to win his match at court three with scores of 6-1, 6-4, and Sebastian Sierra followed suit with another commanding performance at No. 4 singles, scoring 6-0, 6-2. Rintoul met little resistance, quickly finishing his match at court five with another resounding 6-1, 6-0 victory, and Depaquit completed the sweep of singles with a 6-0, 6-1 victory.
“Lynchburg swept all three doubles courts to win the doubles point,” highlighted the report from Lynchburg Athletics. This success marks the Hornets’ strong start to the season, advancing their record to 2-0 overall and 1-0 within the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC).
Next on the horizon for Lynchburg is their trip to Ashland, where they will face Randolph-Macon on Sunday, March 2 at 1 p.m., as stated by the Lynchburg Athletics announcement.
Both St. Bonaventure and Lynchburg demonstrated dominating performances on the court, underlining the competitive spirit inherent to collegiate tennis. These wins not only bolster team morale but set up exciting contests as the season progresses.