Kingsmen Brave Conditions, Trump Brandeis
CLU defeats Brandeis 8-1
Nicholas Ballou won both his first singles and doubles match of the year against Brandeis.
Photo: Tracy MapleTHOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Playing in unseasonably cool conditions, the Cal Lutheran men’s tennis team was unfazed as it battled its way to an 8-1 victory over Brandeis (Mass.) Tuesday afternoon at the Pouslon Tennis Center. With temperatures hovering in the low 50s and a constant north wind gusting, the Kingsmen dropped a couple early sets but rebounded by sweeping the doubles matches.
Tuesday also marked the season debut of 2012 NCAA Division III runner-up Nicholas Ballou. Despite not playing together since last May, Ballou and his No. 1 doubles partner Ray Worley quickly found their chemistry again and defeated Steven Milo and Josh Jordan 8-3.
Alex Nichols and Connor Treacy gutted out an 8-6 victory in the No. 2 doubles match against Alec Siegel and Mitch Krems.
Thomas Millet and Marcelo Sousa cruised past David Yovanoff and Michael Secular in the No. 3 doubles match 8-2, giving CLU the 3-0 lead heading into singles play.
Ballou faced off against Milo in the No. 1 singles match. Milo had actually upset Ballou in 2012, defeating him in three sets. After dropping the first two points of his season, Ballou stormed back to win the next six and took the first set 6-2. Ballou then labored through the second set before closing it out at 6-4 and avenging his loss from a year ago.
Worley was dominant in the No. 2 singles match, defeating Jordan 6-0, 6-1. In his last two matches, Worley has conceded just three points total.
Nichols and Treacy were both strong in their No.3 and 4 matches with Nichols winning 6-2, 6-3 against Yovanoff while Treacy took the first set 6-2 before sweeping Secular 6-0 in the second.
Devon Belcher and Siegel had the match of the day as it last for more than an hour and half. Going back and forth, Belcher finally took the first set 7-5 before escaping with a 6-4 victory in the second, giving CLU the 8-1 victory.
Cal Lutheran (3-0, 2-0 SCIAC) heads indoors this weekend as they travel to Minneapolis, Minn. Friday, Feb. 22 through Sunday, Feb. 24, to take part in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Indoor Tournament. The first matches are set to get underway at 9:00 a.m.
Results: CLU 8 Brandeis 1
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