VALDOSTA, Ga. (February 18, 2011) - In a battle
of top-ten proportions, the sixth-ranked Rollins men's tennis team
fell to No. 2 Valdosta State 6-3 on Friday afternoon at the VSU
Tennis Courts. Rollins drops to 0-2 on the season, having dropped
both its contests to teams in the top-three. Valdosta picks up
their third victory of the season, and advances their overall
record to 3-0 on the young season.
It was a battle of epic proportions as Rollins took to the
courts with a total of three ranked singles players and two ranked
doubles teams, matching up against Valdosta's four ranked singles,
and two ranked doubles teams.
Valdosta held a 2-1 advantage after doubles action, with the
third ranked combo of Philip Pakebusch and Luis Loeffler claiming
the first victory as they defeated the 24th-ranked team
of Nick
Rowlands and Chris
Herbert.
Rollins' fourth-ranked doubles team of Jeff
Morris and Neil
Clausen fell next in an 8-1 decision to the No. 2 ranked Daniel
Dueren and Christian Hansen in the No. 1 position, but Sebastian
Hafner and Arturo
Baravalle defeated Bernie Wallner and Konstantin Kutschenko 8-2
to keep the Tars in contention after doubles play.
Singles competition proved to be tense as the Blazers captured
the win 4-2, although not without a fight from the Tars. Claiming
the first victory in singles was the No. 2 slotted Daniel Dueren,
ranked eighth nationally. Dueren made easy work of Clausen as he
picked up 6-1, and 6-2 victories over his opponent.
David
Yawalkar kept the Tars going as he defeated Wallner 6-2, 6-2 in
the No. 6 position to keep the Tars one set behind, but Valdosta
claimed the ensuing three. No. 22 Loeffler defeated Hafner 6-1,
6-2 in the fourth slot, followed by Kutschenko with an easy 6-1,
6-1 finish over Herbert.
Despite clinching the victory, an all-out brawl was taking place
on courts 1 and 3 as both matches went into tiebreakers. No. 6
Pakebusch defeated Morris 6-2, 2-6, 10-8, but Baravalle secured one
last win for the Tars as he defeated No. 25 Hansen 3-6, 6-1,
10-8.
Rollins returns to action on Saturday, February 19, when they
take on West Florida on the campus of Valdosta State.
Tennis Match Results
Rollins vs Valdosta State
Feb 18, 2011 at Valdosta, Ga.
(VSU Tennis Courts)
#2 Valdosta State 6, #6 Rollins 3
Singles competition
1. #6 Philip Pakebusch (VSU) def. #5 Jeff
Morris (ROLLINS) 6-2, 2-6, 10-8
2. #8 Daniel Dueren (VSU) def. #33 Neil
Clausen (ROLLINS) 6-1, 6-2
3. #46 Arturo
Baravalle (ROLLINS) def. #25 Christian Hansen (VSU) 3-6, 6-1,
10-8
4. #22 Luis Loeffler (VSU) def. Sebastian
Hafner (ROLLINS) 6-1, 6-2
5. Konst. Kutschenko (VSU) def. Chris
Herbert (ROLLINS) 6-1, 6-1
6. David
Yawalkar (ROLLINS) def. Bernie Wallner (VSU) 6-2, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. #2 Daniel Dueren/Christian Hansen (VSU) def. #4 Jeff
Morris/Neil
Clausen (ROLLINS) 8-1
2. #3 Philip Pakebusch/Luis Loeffler (VSU) def. #24 Nick
Rowlands/Chris
Herbert (ROLLINS) 8-1
3. Sebastian
Hafner/Arturo
Baravalle (ROLLINS) def. Bernie Wallner/Konst. Kutschenko (VSU)
8-2
Match Notes:
Rollins 0-2; National ranking #6; Regional ranking #5
Valdosta State 3-0; National ranking #2; Regional ranking #2
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (2,6,4,5,1,3)
Official: Levi Hibbard
