PITTSFORD, N.Y. - The doubles pair of
Ben Davis (Rochester, N.Y.) and
Sam Greco (Amherst, N.Y.) continued their strong play for the Daemen men's tennis team, but the Wildcats dropped a non-conference match to Rochester Institute of Technology by a slim 5-4 final today at the Mendon Racquet Club.
With the loss, Daemen falls to 1-6 on the season. The Wildcats have three matches remaining in the regular season before they enter the East Coast Conference tournament.
RIT, which competes as a member of NCAA Division III and the Liberty League, snapped a two-match skid and improved to 5-4 this season. It was just Daemen's second loss in their last 18 matches against Division III opponents.
The match was played under the Division III scoring format, awarding one point for each singles and doubles match, as opposed to Division II scoring which awards a single point to team that takes at least two of the three doubles matches.
In first doubles, Davis and Greco quickly dispatched of RIT's Brennan Bull and Verosh Jayanetti without dropping a game (8-0). Daemen's top pair improved to 5-2 this season.
The Tigers evened things up when Ethan Martin and Nick Lim scored an 8-1 win in third doubles over DC's
Ross Belen (Marlboro, N.Y.) and
Marcos Lerma Escobar (Zaragoza, Spain). RIT seized some momentum when Jacob Meyerson and Jake Wolicki outlasted DC's
Jose Williamson III (Minneapolis, Minn.) and
Phillip Vance (Orchard Park, N.Y.) in a competitive second doubles match, winning 8-7.
The teams traded points as the match shifted to singles play. Wolicki opened things up with a 6-2, 6-0 win in fourth singles, but the Tigers' 3-1 lead was narrowed when Davis earned his second singles win of the season, racing past Bull on the first court with sets of 6-1 and 6-0.
The Tigers struck next, increasing their lead to 4-2, when Meyerson finished off a 6-1, 6-0 win in sixth singles. Daemen fought back again and evened the match at 4-4 with victories by Williamson III and Vance. Williamson III survived a tough opening set and knocked off Jayanetti 7-5, 6-0 in third singles. Vance followed suit with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Martin in second singles giving Daemen points from the top three players in the their singles lineup.
The deciding point of the dual match came down to fifth singles where Lim bested Belen in a 7-6, 6-1 final.
Williamson III's singles win gives him 45 combined singles and doubles wins in his career, tying him with 2017 graduate
Adam Kerr for seventh in program history.
Daemen returns to non-conference action this Friday, April 23 when they visit Edinboro for a 3 p.m. match.
Daemen College features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.
Support Daemen College's return to intercollegiate athletic competitions by making a contribution to the Game On Campaign and the Daemen Wildcats Gotta Play Fund. This comprehensive fundraising campaign was established to help offset the loss of valuable external revenue streams that directly support Daemen's 17 varsity teams. To learn more, visit daemenwildcats.com/gameon.
