College Men’s Tennis News – Guilford Places Three on All-ODAC Teams

FOREST, Va. (5/10/12) — Guilford College’s Turner Votipka (Nashville, N.C./Nashville Central) earned First Team All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) tennis honors for his play at second singles. Teammates Clayton Hamilton (Greensboro, N.C./Page (Greensboro)) and Tyler Mercier (Bennington, Neb./Westside) received Second Team All-ODAC recognition for their performance at third and first singles, respectively. Selections were made by the league’s head men’s tennis coaches.

Votipka finished his first college season with an 11-10 singles mark, primarily at second singles, 7-2 against league foes. One of his best performances came Mar. 17 when he defeated his second-singles opponent, 6-0, 6-0, in the Quakers’ 9-0 ODAC victory over Randolph College.
Votipka also posted an 11-10 doubles record, including an 8-9 mark (5-3 ODAC) with teammate Colin Rapp. One of the pair’s best efforts was an 8-6 victory in the Quakers’ 5-1 win over league-opponent Hampden-Sydney College in the ODAC Tournament Quarterfinals. Votipka finished the season with 22 overall victories (singles and doubles).

Hamilton went 13-7 in singles play, mostly at third singles, where he was 7-2 in league matches. His 13 overall singles wins stood second on the team. One of his best performances came against ODAC-foe Emory & Henry College Apr. 1 when he rallied for an 0-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) triumph in the Quakers’ 5-4 victory.

Hamilton recorded a team-best 16-6 doubles record and was typically paired with Mercier at first doubles. The tandem had a 12-4 record in dual matches, including 5-3 in the league. One of the pair’s best performances was an 8-1 first-doubles win over ODAC-rival Randolph-Macon College in a match Guilford won, 6-3.

Hamilton finished the season with 29 overall victories (singles and doubles), which stood second on the team. He graduated May 5 with a degree in sport management and will remain with the team as an assistant coach.

Mercier went 18-4 at first singles, 6-2 in the league. He won 11 of his last 12 singles matches, including a three-set triumph over Peter Hawkins of league runner-up Bridgewater College Apr. 14. Mercier won the ODAC’s Player of the Week Award for the week ending Mar. 26 and led Guilford with 33 overall wins (singles and doubles).

Mercier had a 15-8 doubles record at first doubles, including a 15-6 mark with Hamilton. The tandem went 12-4 record in dual matches, including 5-3 in the league. One of the pair’s best performances was an 8-1 first-doubles win over ODAC-rival Randolph-Macon College in a match Guilford won, 6-3.
Second-year coach Dave McCain’s squad went 11-8, the team’s most wins since 1998. Guilford finished third in the conference with a school-record 7-2 mark and reached the league semifinals for the first time since 2008. The Quakers return eight letter winners for the 2012-13 season, including Mercier and Votipka.