NCWC tennis captures USAC Regular Season Championship

Rocky Mount, NC - With a 9-0 sweep of Methodist University on Wednesday afternoon, the North Carolina Wesleyan men's tennis team has captured the 2009 USA South Regular Season Championship! The Bishops, who knocked off Averett by a 6-3 score on Monday, ran the table in conference play en route to the program's fourth league championship and first since 1976. Wesleyan currently boasts a 12-0 overall record and is ranked #23 in the nation. In women's play, the Bishops fell by 8-1 and 9-0 scores to the Cougars and Monarchs, respectively.

On Wednesday at Methodist, the Bishops cruised to a 3-0 lead in doubles play as Antti Saari/Alexey Rumyantsev (8-4), Davit Minasyan/Marcelo Prata (8-3), and Anton Filonov/Ilpo Kautonen (8-3) all recorded victories.

In singles play, Saari needed three sets to defeat MU's Matthew Taylor at the top seed 5-7, 6-0, 6-3. Rumyantsev, Minasyan, Prata, Filonov, and Fred Lemongo proceeded to turn in straight-set wins at #2 through #6 to secure the sweep and championship.

Earlier in the week at Averett, Saari/Rumyantsev dropped a tight 8-6 decision at #1 doubles, but 8-6 and 8-1 wins by Minasyan/Prata and Filonov/Kautonen gave NCWC a 2-1 advantage entering singles action. Saari, Rumyantsev, Filonov, and Lemongo all won easily in straight to seal up the 6-3 victory.

On the women's side versus Averett, sophomores Jaime Galasso and Leila Heinonen teamed for an 8-4 win at #1 doubles to tally NCWC's lone point.

The Bishop women (1-13, 0-8) will wrap USA South play on Saturday at home versus Mary Baldwin College before opening up tournament action with a play-in match next Tuesday afternoon. Wesleyan's men will be finish up their regular season schedule next Wednesday at Hampden-Sydney before entering next weekend's USA South Tournament as the #1 seed.