March 31, 2012

Final Stats

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy men's tennis team improved its record to 3-0 in Patriot League matches this spring with a 7-0 victory over Lafayette Saturday at the USNA Tennis Courts in Annapolis.

"We were really on our game today," said Navy head coach John Officer. "We hit the ball very cleanly and just had too much firepower out there."

The day began with Navy (14-7, 3-0 Patriot League) losing only 11 games in sweeping the three doubles matches from Lafayette (3-6, 1-2). Calvin Mark (Fr., Union City, Calif.) and Peter McDonald (Fr., Chapel Hill, N.C.) first posted an 8-3 win at the No. 1 flight over the Lafayette team of Scott Gelbman and James Oliver. The ensuing 8-3 victory by Navy's No. 3 tandem of Blake Daniel (Fr., Overland Park, Kan.) and Nicholas Gutsche (Jr., Sarasota, Fla.) over Doug Gallagher and Will Mercorella secured the doubles point for the Mids.

The remaining match saw Chris Kenney (So., Westlake Village, Calif.) and Marcus Rebersak (Sr., Pittsburgh, Pa.) combine for an 8-5 win at No. 2 doubles over Brandon Goldstein and Andrew Morris.

"Our doubles play was very good today," said Officer.

Navy's singles players would then combine to win 12 of 13 sets contested during the six matches. Daniel quickly won a 6-0, 6-1 decision over Mercorella at the No. 4 flight, with McDonald soon recording a 6-1, 6-1 win over Oliver at No. 3 singles. Kenney clinched the overall team win for Navy with his 6-4, 6-2 victory over Morris at No. 6 singles. Mark followed by posting a 6-2, 6-2 triumph over Goldstein at No. 2 singles.

Rebersak dropped the first set of his No. 1 singles match against Gallagher by the count of 6-3, but bounced back to win the second set by the score of 6-2. Rebersak would then tally the opening four points of the 10-point tiebreaker that was used in place of a complete third set on his way to posting a 10-5 win in the breaker.

Gutsche also had to put together a second-set comeback in his match at No. 5 singles to Gelbman. After winning the first set over his Lafayette opponent by the score of 6-2, he found himself trailing, 4-0, in the second set. Gutsche rallied to force a tiebreaker in the frame, which he would win by the count of 7-2 to cap the 7-0 victory for the Mids.

"Nick did a nice job of coming back from his second set deficit, and Marcus did well after losing the first set of his match," said Officer. "Everyone else was just really on their game."

Navy will be back in action Sunday at 2:30 p.m. when the Midshipmen play host to Lehigh. The match currently is slated to be contested outside on the USNA Tennis Courts, but will be moved to the Tose Family Tennis Center should weather conditions force the matches to be played indoors. The Mountain Hawks defeated the Mids twice during the 2011 season, including by the score of 4-3 in the semifinal round of the Patriot League Tournament.

Navy (14-7 / 3-0) def. Lafayette (3-6 / 1-2), 7-0
Doubles -- Navy wins the doubles point (1-3-2)
1. Mark, Calvin / McDonald, Peter (NAVY) def. Gelbman, Scott / Oliver, James (LAF) 8-3
2. Kenney, Chris / Rebersak, Marcus (NAVY) def. Goldstein, Brandon / Morris, Andrew (LAF) 8-5
3. Daniel, Blake / Gutsche, Nicholas (NAVY) def. Gallagher, Doug / Mercorella, Will (LAF) 8-3
Singles (4-3-6-2-1-5)
1. Rebersak, Marcus (NAVY) def. Gallagher, Doug (LAF) 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-5)
2. Mark, Calvin (NAVY) def. Goldstein, Brandon (LAF) 6-2, 6-2
3. McDonald, Peter (NAVY) def. Oliver, James (LAF) 6-1, 6-1
4. Daniel, Blake (NAVY) def. Mercorella, Will (LAF) 6-0, 6-1
5. Gutsche, Nicholas (NAVY) def. Gelbman, Scott (LAF) 6-2, 7-6 (7-2)
6. Kenney, Chris (NAVY) def. Morris, Andrew (LAF) 6-4, 6-2