VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. Friday afternoon's 6-3 non-conference win over host Virginia Wesleyan University gave the Methodist men's tennis team its sixth consecutive victory over the Marlins.
E.J. Stolmeijer earned the match-clinching point Friday, winning a three-set bout at 5-singles after dropping the opening set.
JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Methodist def. Va. Wesleyan, 6-3
Records: Methodist 6-12, Va. Wesleyan 4-5
Location: Everett Tennis Center; Virginia Beach, Va.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Methodist earned a 2-1 lead in doubles action with wins at Nos. 2 and 3. Hayden Wilfong and Kayhahn Alikhani won the first point of the afternoon with their 8-3 win at 3, and Henry Murray and Luke Laney gave the Monarchs the edge with a solid 8-1 win at 2-doubles.
- AJ Rogers inched the Monarchs closer to the match-clinching point, downing Connor Cummings in straight sets, 6-0 and 6-2, at 6-singles, and Trent Harner put Methodist on the brink of victory with his 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 3.
- The Marlins battled back into the match by earning the next two points, at Nos. 2 and 4, but Stolmeijer rebounded from a 6-4 opening-set loss to Mitchel Portera to win out, 1 and 2, in the second and third sets.
- Jordan Theron, with a 3 and 3 win at 1-singles, added the final point for the Monarchs.
UP NEXT
- Methodist is scheduled to travel to Rocky Mount, N.C., on Saturday, April 17 to take on host North Carolina Wesleyan College in a pivotal USA South Athletic Conference match.
- Only the top two teams in the East Division of the conference qualify for the league's 2021 postseason tournament, and currently the Monarchs are tied for second with Averett University (both at 2-1 in USA South play) but lose a tiebreaker to the Cougars on head-to-head matchups.
- N.C. Wesleyan leads the division at 2-0, with one of its wins coming against Averett.
