CEDARVILLE, Ohio – The West Liberty University tennis team defeated Cedarville, 5-2, on Saturday in a non-conference match at the Johnson-Murdoch Tennis Complex.
It was the first dual match of the fall for Coach Ron Hulewicz's Hilltoppers, who avenged a 6-1 loss to the host Yellowjackets (3-2) earlier this spring.
Some clutch play down the stretch in the doubles competition earned the doubles point for the visitors. West Liberty's No. 2 doubles team of Isfan Makhumudov and
Moritz Erpel and the No. 3 doubles tandem of
Anton Schulz and
Nevio Dux each pulled out tiebreaker wins to earn the point.
Dux and
Daisuke Aota got the Black and Gold off to a flying start in singles play with straight set wins at Nos. 5 and 4 singles, respectively, but Cedarville pulled out three-set wins at the Nos. 2 and 3 spots to stay alive.
Schulz delivered the clincher with a 6-4 win in the third set of his No. 1 singles match with CU's Cole Moss and
Zarion Jones provided the final margin, rallying past Philip Brumbaugh 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 to wrap things up at No. 6 singles.
The Hilltoppers close out their abbreviated fall slate on Friday with a 4 p.m. match at Washington & Jefferson.
MEN'S TENNIS
West Liberty 5, Cedarville (Ohio) 2
Singles
Anton Schulz (WLU) d. Cole Moss, 7-5 4-6 6-4
Toshi Watanabe (CU) d. Isfan Makhumudov, 3-6 6-2 6-1
Timmy O'Brien (CU) d.
Moritz Erpel, 2-6 6-4 7-5
Daisuke Aota (WLU) d. Nathan Brumbaugh, 6-2 6-2
Nevio Dux (WLU) d. Dawson Poling, 6-3 6-3
Zarion Jones (WLU) d. Philip Brumbaugh, 5-7 6-3 6-2
Doubles
Watanabe/O'Brien (CU) d. Aota/Roehner, 6-2
Makhumudov/Erpel (WLU) d. Moss/Brumbaugh, 7-6(4)
Schulz/Dux (WLU) d. Brumbaugh/Hollis, 7-6(5)
