FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. Methodist men's tennis hosted Division I The Citadel in a home doubleheader Saturday, while also sending part of a split squad to take on D-II University of Mount Olive.
The Monarchs did not register a team victory, falling to Citadel 9-0 and 8-1 while dropping a 6-1 decision to Mount Olive, but did register several positive match results, particularly at Mount Olive.
THE ESSENTIALS
Final scores: Citadel def. Methodist 9-0 and 8-1; Mount Olive def. Methodist 6-1
Records: Methodist 0-4; Citadel 3-4; Mount Olive 1-0
Locations: Clayton Tennis Center, Fayetteville, N.C.; Walker Tennis Center, Mount Olive, N.C.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The late-morning home match against Citadel was all Bulldogs as the visitors swept the doubles matches and followed with a very strong singles outing, winning in straight sets in each of the six bouts.
- The afternoon match, however, saw an early Methodist triumph when the pairing of E.J. Stolmeijer and AJ Rogers captured an 8-6 victory at No. 2 doubles. Though the Bulldogs ran off six straight-set wins in singles, Henry Blanco put up a solid challenge at 1-singles in his 6-3, 6-3 defeat.
- The match at Mount Olive could have easily turned in Methodist's favor with four singles matches rolling into deciding third sets.
- Contesting the match under the doubles-as-one-point rule, Mount Olive was lucky to escape with that point. Jordan Theron and Patrick Newsome teamed up at No. 1 for a 6-3 win for Methodist, while Trent Harner and Coleman Baker were extending the 2-doubles match into a tiebreak. Mount Olive's duo eventually took that match, 7-6, to secure the doubles point for the Trojans.
- Theron at 1-singles, Harner at No. 2, Henry Murray at 3 and Wilfong at 5 all pushed their matches into third sets.
- Wilfong came out as the winner at No. 5, taking a 7-6, 3-6, 6-2 decision over UMO's Gregory Normand for a Methodist point.
- Harner and Murray won their opening sets before opponents took second and third sets for match wins, while Theron stormed back from a 6-0 opening-set loss to take the second, 6-2. UMO's Armando Ferreira was able to fend off Theron's challenges in the deciding set, 6-3.
UP NEXT
Methodist continues the season Thursday with a match at D-II Barton College, followed by a Sunday match at D-1 University of Richmond.