Gardner-Webb Men’s Tennis Opens Big South Conference Play with 5-2 Win over Presbyterian – Gardner-Webb University Athletics

Boiling Springs, N.C. – The Gardner-Webb men’s tennis team opened Big South Conference play at the Webb Tennis Center Tuesday (3/19) afternoon and the Runnin’ Bulldogs took care of business and defeated visiting Presbyterian, 5-2.

Gardner-Webb improves to 13-3 overall (1-0 in Big South) while Presbyterian falls to 6-8 (1-1 in Big South).

Gardner-Webb held a 1-0 lead heading into singles play as the Dawgs swept the first town doubles matches to secure the doubles point.
The ‘Runnin’ Bulldogs No.1 tandem of senior Eduardo Dias (Parana, Brazil) and senior Chrisjan Van Wyk (Pretoria, South Africa) once again got things rolling in doubles with a 6-3 victory over Javier Matos and Denim Yaday.    

At No.2 doubles, junior Lemieux-Monette (Montral, Canada) and freshman Jurie Terblanche (Perth, Australia) secured the doubles point for the Dawgs with a 6-2 win over Marco Foglieni and David Mamalat.

At No.3 doubles, the Dawgs duo of senior John Spring (Miramar Beach, Fla.) and junior Alex Lepine (Montreal, Canada) were leading 5-4 when their match was called.  
              
In the singles competition, Gardner-Webb won on courts four and one before clinching the match on Court No.2 when Lepine prevailed in three sets (2-6, 6-4, 6-2) over Mamalat.

On Court No.4, junior Kim Niethammer (Harrenburg, Germany) defeated Yaday (6-0, 6-1).

Dias, who improved to 15-0 in singles play, took care of Matos on Court No.1, (7-6, 6-2) to keep rolling through his dominant spring for the Dawgs.

The other Gardner-Webb winner vs the Blue Hose was Terblanche, who won in three sets (6-4, 3-6, 7-5) over Foglieni in No.6 singles.

Lemieux-Monette lost in three sets on Court No.3 (3-6,6-2,4-6) to Presbyterian’s Pedro Cardoso.   

On Court No.5, Chrisjan Van Wyk also lost (4-6, 1-6) to the Blue Hose Evgenios Vasilakis.

“This was a total team win,” said Gardner-Webb head tennis coach Mike Griffith. “PC (Presbyterian College) made it very difficult and pushed us, but we were able to find a way. I’m very proud of our guys.”

Up Next— Gardner-Webb will continue conference play on Thursday (3/22) when they visit Longwood for a 2PM match in Farmville, VA. The match, originally scheduled for Friday, was moved up a day due to the potential of inclement weather. The Runnin’ Bulldogs will close out a busy week with a non-conference match at UNC Greensboro at 2PM on Saturday (3/23).