SPARTANBURG, S.C. – With a 5-2 victory over the Wofford Terriers today, April 6, the Elon University men’s tennis team clinched at least a share of the Southern Conference regular season championship.
“We had two hard-fought matches this weekend,” said Elon head coach Michael Leonard. “I was really happy to see our team respond the way it did today after a tough match yesterday. Now, we’re looking forward to our last conference match this week against Appalachian State.”
Elon, the 49th-ranked team in the country and the only undefeated side in SoCon play at 8-0, can clinch its second straight outright regular season title and complete the perfect run through conference play this week when it hosts Appalachian State at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center Wednesday, April 9, at 3:30 p.m. Elon is a perfect 6-0 at home this season.
Cameron Silverman, ranked No. 36 in the nation, clinched the match for the Phoenix on court No. 1, as the team’s lone senior recovered after dropping the second set to win the 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 thriller. Silverman now has 58 singles dual match wins in his illustrious career at Elon, which is six behind the program record of 64.
The table was set for Silverman to clinch the match with the Phoenix winning the doubles point, then Jordan Kaufman and Brian Kowalski winning singles matches to make it 3-0. Kaufman took his match on court No. 5 by a score of 6-2, 6-0 while Kowalski won 6-3, 6-3 on court No. 4.
The Phoenix needed to come from behind to secure the doubles point after Silverman and Kaufman fell 8-7 (7-2) on court No. 1. Fortmann and Madrid won 8-6 on court No. 3 to pull Elon back even with Wofford, then Kowalski and Lindgren topped Trevor Gotkowski and Walker Heffron on court No. 2 by a score of 8-5 to clinch the point.
Stefan Fortmann finished the match by picking up Elon’s fifth point with a 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 victory on court No. 2 over Haris Poric. Fortmann is now 8-0 since the beginning of March, but this was his first match that went longer than two sets.
Wofford’s two points against the Phoenix marks the most of any SoCon team this season. Previously, Elon had only ceded a point to Davidson on March 9, UNCG on April 2 and yesterday against Furman. In Sunday’s match, Robert Lindgren dropped a tight 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (10-8) match on court No. 3 while Juan Madrid lost a 7-6 (12-10), 6-0 decision on court No. 6.
Tennis Match Results
Elon vs Wofford College
Apr 06, 2014 at Spartanburg, S.C.
(Reeves Tennis Center)
#49 Elon 5, Wofford College 2
Singles competition
1. #36 Cameron Silverman (ELON) def. Rob Galloway (WOF) 6-1, 3-6, 7-5
2. Stefan Fortmann (ELON) def. Haris Poric (WOF) 7-5, 4-6, 6-4
3. Walker Heffron (WOF) def. Robert Lindgren (ELON) 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (10-8)
4. Brian Kowalski (ELON) def. Trevor Gotkowski (WOF) 6-3, 6-3
5. Jordan Kaufman (ELON) def. Jackson Keith (WOF) 6-2, 6-0
6. Parks Thompson (WOF) def. Juan Madrid (ELON) 7-6 (12-10), 6-0
Doubles competition
1. Rob Galloway/Haris Poric (WOF) def. Cameron Silverman/Jordan Kaufman (ELON) 8-7 (7-2)
2. Robert Lindgren/Brian Kowalski (ELON) def. Trevor Gotkowski/Walker Heffron (WOF) 8-5
3. Stefan Fortmann/Juan Madrid (ELON) def. Jackson Keith/David Sklar (WOF) 8-6
Match Notes:
Elon 15-3, 8-0 SoCon; National ranking #49
Wofford College 8-10, 3-4 SoCon
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (5,4,6,1,3,2)
T-4:10 A-55