April 13, 2009

Final Stats

DURHAM, N.C. - The Kennesaw State men's tennis team was put to the test in its season finale on Saturday, eventually overcoming a feisty North Carolina Central team, 4-3, to end its inaugural season with a victory.

"It's nice to finish the season with a win, and the guys did just that," said Kennesaw State Head Coach Brandon Padgett on the season finale.

The Owls finished the spring season 7-12 after overcoming continued struggles in doubles to come back for the one-point win. Michael Langel and Tyler Mills ended the team's streak of four matches without a doubles win, teaming up at No. 1 for an 8-2 victory over Andres Perez and Jermaine Byrd to get the Owls off on the right foot.

After an 8-3 loss by Lawrence Washington and Ryan Bouttell at No. 2, all eyes rested on the deciding match on the No. 3 court where Nathan She teamed with Dylan Higgins in a back-and-forth affair against Trey Chatman and Jose Fabara. She and Higgins fought valiantly in their first action together this spring, pushing the match to extra games before losing 9-8 (2) to cede the early lead to the Eagles.

The Black and Gold responded quickly in singles, taking a 2-1 lead after Michael Langel and Denis Sergeychik straight-setted their respective opponents. Langel looked sharp in a 6-2, 6-1 win over Fabara at No. 3, while Sergeychik cruised to a 6-1, 6-1 win over Stephen Allsop at No. 6.

The Eagles evened things up not long after, using a 6-4, 1-6, 6-0 victory by Perez over Washington at No. 1 to boost themselves back into the match.

Next off the courts was Ryan Bouttell, the Owls most successful player this season, who won his fifth-straight match to push the score back in KSU's favor. With his 6-3, 7-5 win over Chatman at No. 5, Bouttell finished the spring season with a team-best 12-3 record, including winning 11 of his last 12.

Determined not to lose on its home courts, NCCU staged another comeback after Jack Waissen outlasted Mills 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(5) at No. 2. The deciding No. 4 match was a marathon as well, with the Owls Simon Janik holding on for the 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 6-3 win over Alejandro Espitia to seal the Black and Gold victory.

"It was a hard fought match, and we continued to show our youth and inexperience," added Padgett. "But in the end, getting the win is what mattered for guys, and I'm proud of them for taking care of things when the match got tight."

Stay tuned to the Kennesaw State Athletics homepage for breaking news on the men's tennis program, including a season review and postseason awards.