ASHLAND, Va. – Guilford College’s men’s tennis team advanced to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Tournament final for the first time in school history Saturday with a 5-0 win over Bridgewater College in a semifinal match at Randolph-Macon College.
The third-seeded Quakers (12-5) notched their sixth straight victory to reach Sunday’s final against top-seeded Washington and Lee University, a 5-0 semifinal winner over fifth-seeded Hampden-Sydney College Saturday. The winner of Sunday’s 10:00 a.m. title match at Randolph-Macon receives the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs. The seven-time defending league champion Generals are ranked 29th in the latest Oracle/Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division III Rankings and scored an 8-1 win over Guilford March 26.
Guilford raced to a 3-0 lead after doubles play with the second-seeded Eagles (13-6). Levi Bruff and Aaron Smedley made quick work of Bridgewater’s Dayton Carpenter and Emmett Johnson at third doubles, 8-1. Guilford’s Chasen Chacon and Graham Pearson doubled the lead with an 8-2 triumph in the second flight over the Eagles’ Kris Stokes and Sonet Gandhi. Tate Godwin and Mesa Martorell took an 8-4 first-doubles decision over Nathaniel Horner and Freddie Roberts.
The Quakers’ Mason Church knocked off Carpenter at sixth singles, 6-2, 6-2, before Bruff clinched the win with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Gandhi at fifth singles.
Coach Dave McCain’s Quakers have their most wins in a season since the 1996 club went 13-6.
Tennis Match Results
Guilford vs Bridgewater
May 06, 2017 at Ashland, Va.
(Banks Tennis Center)
Guilford 5, Bridgewater 0
Singles competition
1. Nathaniel Horner (BC) vs. Tate Godwin (GC) 2-6, 1-4, unfinished
2. Emmett Johnson (BC) vs. Mesa Martorell (GC) 4-6, 0-2, unfinished
3. Freddie Roberts (BC) vs. Aaron Smedley (GC) 5-6, unfinished
4. Kris Stokes (BC) vs. Jon-Anthony Thomas (GC) 2-6, 4-0, unfinished
5. Levi Bruff (GC) def. Sonet Gandhi (BC) 6-1, 6-1
6. Mason Church (GC) def. Dayton Carpenter (BC) 6-2, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Tate Godwin/Mesa Martorell (GC) def. Nathaniel Horner/Freddie Roberts (BC) 8-4
2. Chasen Chacon/Graham Pearson (GC) def. Kris Stokes/Sonet Gandhi (BC) 8-2
3. Aaron Smedley/Levi Bruff (GC) def. Dayton Carpenter/Emmett Johnson (BC) 8-1
Match Notes:
Guilford 12-5
Bridgewater 13-6
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (,6,5)
Old Dominion Athletic Conference Tournament semifinal
T-2:10
A-32