CLINTON, S.C. – The Presbyterian College men's tennis team
wrapped up a full fall slate that included several victories and tough battles
against prominent regional competition.
After opening the fall at the Southern Intercollegiate
Championships, PC tennis players headed to the Gardner-Webb Fall Classic. The
pair of William O'Connell (Nadi, Fiji) and Gonzalo Asis (Madrid, Spain) won the
top flight championship with three straight wins over doubles teams from
Gardner-Webb, USC Upstate and Wofford.
Asis also picked up a three-set victory over Runnin' Bulldog
Ernest Alberch and P.H. Broyhill (Hickory, N.C.) and Steven Weaver (Charleston,
S.C.) picked up crucial experience.
The Blue Hose returned home to host Spartanburg Methodist
College and Newberry in a Saturday twinbill and cruised to a pair of wins. PC
blanked the Pioneers of SMC, 7-0, before knocking off the Wolves by a 6-1
margin.
Danny Bruce (Marietta, Ga.) picked up his first collegiate
win with a top-flight victory against the Pioneers and then took a sixth-flight
win against the Wolves. Nathan Crocker (Clinton, S.C.) and Edward Snead
(Greenwood, S.C.) toughed out a first-flight win against Markus Gattner and
Matthew Plummer against SMC while the duo of Bruce and Asis and the pair of
Steven Weaver (Charleston, S.C.) and Broyhill both blanked Pioneer doubles
pairs.
Broyhill earned his first win as a Blue Hose at the fifth
flight against SMC as well.
Against Newberry, Grayson Mills (Lilburn, Ga.) and Rafael
Berghaus (Offenbach, Germany) grabbed wins against the Wolves as the Blue Hose
also swept the visitors in doubles action.
The Blue Hose next traveled to the ITA Carolina Regional at
Cary, N.C., one of the most prestigious events of the fall. While there,
O'Connell beat back Sebastian King of Appalachian State (2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3) and Mills
knocked off Connor Sherwood of Wake Forest (6-3, 6-2) in single action. In
doubles play, Andrew Brigham (Birmingham, England) and O'Connell reached the
semifinals by getting past Furman and Appalachian State (8-6). Berghaus and
Mills also knocked off a Furman pair before dropping a hard-fought match to the
No. 15 pair in the country from Duke, 8-4.
The fall ended at the Carolinas Invitational at Winthrop,
with the Blue Hose turning in some impressive efforts. In the event's second
division, Bruce took sixth place with wins over UNC Greensboro and Campbell
while Asis finished in eighth after a victory over Big South Conference foe
Gardner-Webb Brigham also took 14th by knocking off an opponent from
Campbell.
Crocker bounced back after an opening match loss, winning a
tilt against UNC Greensboro and Snead picked up a 6-3, 6-4 victory over UNC
Greensboro as well.
PC shone in doubles action. O'Connell and Brigham knocked
off Greensboro and Campbell in the top division before dropping a tough contest
to South Carolina, 8-4. Snead and Crocker pushed pashed a UNC Asheville pair,
8-5, as did Bruce and Asis, 8-4.
PC will begin the spring season on Saturday, January 12 at
South Carolina.
