North Carolina State University Athletics
Hokies Outlast Men's Tennis, 4-3
4/19/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. The NC State men’s tennis team fell to Virginia Tech, 4-3, in an unorthodox opening-round ACC Championships match on Thursday, April 19. Play began over an hour behind the scheduled 12 p.m. start, and later took a three-hour rain delay before being uprooted and completed in Chapel Hill. With the loss, the Pack falls to 20-9 on the season while the Hokies climb to 13-11.
It took a clutch win in a tiebreak for State to collect the opening doubles tally. Nicolas Delgado and Pedro Graber dominated Nick Cavaday and William Noblitt, 8-3, at No. 1, but within minutes of that match coming to a close, David Rozek and Christian Welte evened things up by downing Brandon Corace and Arvid Puranane at No. 3, 8-4.
With the doubles point hanging in the balance, James McGee and Jay Weinacker battled Albert Larregola and Yoanne Re in a seesaw contest at No. 3. Precise serves from Weinacker, along with solid returns by McGee, allowed the Pack to win in a tiebreak, 9-8 (7-5), and seize the opening 1-0 advantage.
Well into singles play, the skies opened and rain began to fall at the Cary Tennis Park, forcing play on all courts to come to a halt. Just a single match came to a close before the drizzle began, with McGee falling to Re, 6-3, 6-3, at No. 4 to tie the score. Noblitt, Weinacker and Iriarte, however, were each up a set.
Following a delay of over three hours, the match was moved some 21 miles to the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center on the North Carolina campus in Chapel Hill. Cavaday got things rolling for the Pack by clinching the first set at No. 1 with just two points.
It didn’t take Weinacker long to put State back on top at 2-1, downing Delgado in three quick sets at No. 3, 6-3, 0-6, 6-3. Noblitt, however, fell shortly thereafter to Larregola at No. 2 after taking the first set, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1. Corace then came from down a set to top Iriarte at No. 6, 0-6, 6-4, 6-3, bringing Virginia Tech within one point of advancing.
Cavaday did his best to turn the tide, knocking off Puranen in straight-sets, 6-4, 7-5, at No. 1. At No. 5, however, Graber outlasted Welte, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, punching the Hokies ticket to the second round of play.
Seemingly a lock for its second-straight NCAA Tournament birth, State will now await the word of the selection committee. The entire NCAA field will be announced on Tuesday, May 1. The bracket will be revealed live on ESPNEWS.
Virginia Tech d. NC State, 4-3
Doubles
1. Delgado/Graber (VT) d. Cavaday/Noblitt, 8-3
2. McGee/Weinacker d. Larregola/Re (VT), 9-8 (7-5)
3. Rozek/Welte d. Corace/Puranen (VT), 8-4
Order of finish: 1,3,2
Singles
1. Cavaday d. Puranen (VT), 6-4, 7-5
2. Larregola (VT) d. Noblitt, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1
3. Weinacker d. Delgado (VT), 6-3, 0-6, 6-3
4. Re (VT) d. McGee, 6-3, 6-3
5. Graber (VT) d. Welte, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
6. Corace (VT) d. Iriarte, 0-6, 6-4, 6-3
Order of finish: 4, 3, 2, 6, 1, 5
