Team Season Ends at Hands of Stags

CLAREMONT, Calif. – For the third time this spring the No. 5 Cal Lutheran men’s tennis team faced off with No. 1 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The stakes today were much higher with an opportunity to advance to the Quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III Men’s Tennis Championships on the line. Unfortunately for the Kingsmen, the result today at the Biszantz Family Tennis Center was the same with the Kingsmen falling 5-1 to the Stags, ending the CLU season.

The hope of the Violet and Gold today was to get out to an early lead on the host squad, but it was the Maroon and Gold who went up 2-1 after the doubles portion of the matches and swept the first three singles to seal the victory and punch a ticket to Michigan.

Only the No. 1 ranked team of Nicholas Ballou and Ray Worley were able to earn a point with an 8-5 Win over Warren Wood and Joe Dorn at number one doubles. The CLU duo avenged an 8-5 loss to the CMS pair from a week ago at the SCIAC Championships.

The number three CLU doubles team of Thomas Millet and Marcelo Sousa gave Nickolas Marino and Alex Lane a run, though the Stags pair finished on top 8-5 for the second time in a week. At SCIAC Championships Marino and Lane earned a 9-8 win over Millet and Sousa.

Also turning in a tough battle were Alex Nichols and Connor Treacy who fell to Skyler Butts and Neel Kotrappa by an 8-4 margin. Last week Nichols and Treacy had the upper hand, winning 8-3.

CMS used quick finishes at No. 3, 5 and 4 singles from Marino (6-0, 6-0), Butts (6-2, 6-2) and Lane (6-3, 6-1), respectively, to steal the victory.

Worley was responsible for the only singles set win of the afternoon, defeating Dorn 6-2 to start their number two dual match. Dorn was leading 4-3 when play was halted.

At number one singles, Wood edged Ballou 6-3 in the first set, but the CLU senior national leader was up 4-3 in the second set when the team decision was made.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (28-3) will advance to the Quarterfinals on May 20 against Middlebury.

Cal Lutheran (19-5) finishes the spring of 2013 tied for the most wins in school history, matching the 19 wins that the Kingsmen recorded in 2010 as they went 19-3.

Both Ballou and Worley have earned bids to the NCAA Men’s Tennis Individual Championships in Kalamazoo, Mich. from May 23-25. They will each play as individuals as well as teaming up for doubles play.

Box Score: CMS 5, CLU 1
Bracket: Official 2013 Playoff Bracket
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