Alabama
Penn State
Men's Tennis Downs Penn State, 4-1
2/26/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Feb. 26, 2011
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The 32nd-ranked men's tennis team (6-2) posted a 4-1 win on Saturday against No. 69 Penn State (6-5) at the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic at Lagoon Park. The Crimson Tide got the early advantage after earning the doubles point and went on to capture three singles matches for the team victory.
"This was a high-quality win for our team tonight," Alabama head coach Billy Pate said. "It was important for us to get the doubles point and to gain some confidence there. We have a quick turnaround in having to play in the morning, so we need to recharge and be ready to go early tomorrow."
Alabama got ahead early after securing the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and No. 3. First to finish was the duo on court three where senior Trey Walston and junior Michael Thompson cruised to an 8-3 victory over Penn State junior Taylor Cohen and sophomore Bryan Welnetz. The Nittany Lions would even the count with an 8-3 win on court two as junior Jason Lee and sophomore C.J. Griffin topped sophomore Jarryd Botha and freshman Daniil Proskura. The point would come down to the matchup on court one that was tightly contested. Juniors Ricky Doverspike and Vikram Reddy came up big for the Tide providing the win in an 8-6 decision over senior Eddie Bourchier and freshman Russell Bader to give Alabama the 1-0 lead heading into singles.
Penn State would strike first in singles to even the overall score at 1-1 as Welnetz posted a 7-5, 6-0 win over Reddy at No. 3. From there, the Tide would earn three consecutive wins, all in straight sets, for the team victory. Proskura took down Bader on court four 6-3, 6-3 just before Thompson tallied a 7-5, 6-2 decision over junior Christopher Haysn on court five. Botha wrapped things up on court two with a 6-4, 6-4 win against Lee.
Next up, Alabama will take on either No. 46 Arizona or No. 37 Boise State at 8:30 a.m. CT in the consolation finals.
RESULTS
Doubles
1. Doverspike/Reddy (UA) def. Bourchier/Bader (PSU) 8-6
2. Lee/Griffin (PSU) def. Botha/Proskura (UA) 8-3
3. Thompson/Walston (UA) def. Weinetz/Cohen (PSU) 8-2
Order of Finish: 3,2,1
Singles
1. Ricky Doverspike (UA) vs. Eddie Bourchier (PSU) 7-6, 5-4, unf.
2. Jarryd Botha (UA) def. Jason Lee (PSU) 6-4, 6-4
3. Bryan Welnetz (PSU) def. Vikram Reddy (UA) 7-5, 6-0
4. Daniil Proskura (UA) def. Russell Bader (PSU) 6-3, 6-3
5. Michael Thompson (UA) def. Christopher Haysn (PSU) 7-5, 6-2
6. Carlos Taborga (UA) vs. Chris Young (PSU) 5-7, 6-3, 1-0, unf.
Order of Finish: 3,4,5,2*
Players Mentioned
