Cougars Square Off Against Wildcats in Quarterfinals of SoCon Championships
4/21/2011 12:15:00 AM | Men's Tennis
The Cougars (15-5, 9-1 SoCon) received a first-round bye after claiming a part of the Southern Conference regular season title alongside Elon. Just one year after going undefeated in conference action, head coach Jay Bruner steered his Cougars to back-to-back regular season championships for the first time in program history.
"Ending the season they way we did was great and I think we've got everyone peaking at the right time," Bruner said. "It's nice to have the first round off to be fresh. Davidson had a good match today over a tough Wofford team but we are prepared and hoping to get a few guys going at the same time tomorrow."
The Wildcats (7-17, 2-8 SoCon) knocked off seventh-seeded Wofford 4-1 on Wednesday afternoon. Davidson claimed wins at the first and third doubles spots followed by three straight-set victories in singles. Calum Gee topped Alan Donald 6-0, 6-3 at the No. 4 spot before Joe Schafer defeated Titus Van Wyk 6-4, 6-3 at the top singles position. Ethan Kallick's 6-4, 7-5 win over Paul Bartholomy at No. 6 clinched the match for the Wildcats, advancing them to the quarterfinals.
The Southern Conference returns to a 10-team field this year after allowing only the top four teams to compete in 2010. Although it results in a longer tournament, Bruner says his team likes the larger field.
"Endurance comes into play and preparation comes into play," Bruner said. "You can have upsets and it makes it a little more exciting, having everybody out there."
CofC swept Davidson in its regular season meeting on Apr. 10 in the final home match for the Cougars. Five members of the 2011 squad were named to all-conference first and second teams earlier in the week.
Live Stats for the match will be available on the Southern Conference website at www.soconsports.com
