FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. Methodist's men's tennis finished off its regular-season schedule Tuesday at the Gene Clayton Tennis Center, downing visiting Guilford College, 6-3, in a non-conference match.
The win marked the 10th in a row by the Monarchs over the Quakers, and sends Methodist into the USA South Athletic Conference tournament on a winning note.
THE ESSENTIALS
Final score: Methodist def. Guilford, 6-3
Records: Methodist 12-11, Guilford 9-6
Location: Gene Clayton Tennis Center; Fayetteville, N.C.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Monarchs used wins from the pairings of E.J. Stolmeijer and AJ Rogers at 3-doubles, and Wynn Johnson and Hayden Wilfong at the No. 2 doubles spot to head into singles action with a 2-1 advantage.
- The match outcome was decided in the Nos. 4, 5 and 6 singles slots as Methodist swept those three matches before Nos. 1, 2 and 3 would finish.
- Luke Laney posted a commanding 6-2, 6-0 victory at No. 6 for the first salvo in that three-match run.
- Next to finish was Hayden Wilfong at No. 4, where he downed Jay Montague in straight sets, 3 and 1, setting up Henry Murray at 5-singles with the chance to clinch the match.
- Murray opened with a 6-1 win in the first set, and though Tim Thompson battled for two more games victories in the second set, Murray closed Thompson out by a count of 6-3.
- The Quakers picked up a win at 1-singles but dropped the match at No. 2 where Methodist's Trent Harner outlasted Elijah Gregory in three sets -- 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 (10-3) -- before winning a three-set tiebreaker at No. 3.
NEXT UP
- Methodist travels to LaGrange, Georgia, for the USA South Athletic Conference men's tennis tournament, entering the league postseason as the No. 2 seed in the conference's East Division.
- As the second seed the Monarchs will play the No. 3 seed from the West, Covenant College, in the quarterfinal round Friday at the LaGrange College Tennis Courts Friday at 10 a.m.
- The semifinal round is scheduled for Saturday with the championship match slated for Sunday morning at the city's McCluskey Tennis Center.