Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 ETSU Box Score (PDF) | USC Sumter Box Score (PDF)
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel tennis team played its final two home matches of 2016 on Saturday at the Earle Tennis Center.
The Citadel (9-28, 0-7 SoCon) defeated USC Sumter 9-0 to split its two Saturday matches after falling 7-0 to 52nd-ranked ETSU. The Bulldogs' nine victories in 2016 are the highest single-season win total under head coach
Chuck Kriese and the program's most wins in a season since 2008.
"ETSU beat us solidly," Coach Kriese said. "They were a very good team and deserved the win. As a coach, when you lose you want to be able to keep playing. I'm very happy that we had the second match and were able to get a win over USC Sumter. You cannot learn how to win without winning, and our guys are starting to understand how to do it and the commitment that it takes to win. Now that it is tournament time, we know we have between one and 10 matches left this season, and we are excited to compete again."
After falling to the Buccaneers, The Citadel returned to the courts and swept all nine matches against USC Sumter. At No. 1 doubles, sophomores
Artemie Amari and
Ryan Templet teamed up for the first time this season and earned an 8-1 victory. Sophomore
Nicholas Bradley and freshman
Roy Hobson claimed an 8-0 win at No. 2 doubles, while juniors
Connor Grady and
Joe Bove won 8-0 at No. 3 for the pair's third win this season.
Bradley led the charge in singles, picking up his 12th win of the season with a 6-0, 6-0 final at No. 1. Amari claimed his team-leading 15th singles win of the year 6-1, 6-1 at No. 2, and Hobson won 6-3, 6-1 at No. 3 for his 10th victory of 2016.
Freshman
Trey Davis played at No. 4, his highest position in the singles lineup this season, and earned his fourth win of the year with a 6-0, 6-0 shutout. Templet, making only his second appearance of the season in the singles lineup, took a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 5, and Grady made his season debut in singles with a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 6.
"There are many things to be pleased with about the regular season," Coach Kriese said. "Our young players have matured quite a bit, and our older guys are becoming great leaders. We will continue to work hard and continue to move forward toward our goals."
The Bulldogs now prepare for the Southern Conference Tournament, which runs Friday through Sunday at the Champions Club in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Citadel and ETSU are scheduled for the single-elimination tournament's first match at 8:30 a.m. Friday.
For more information on The Citadel tennis, follow
@CitadelOlympic or visit CitadelSports.com.
