Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
UC Santa Barbara
Wildcats Top UCSB Gauchos in 4-3 Nailbiter
3/24/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
March 24, 2010
SANTA BARBARA, Cal. -- After jumping out to an early lead, No. 37 Northwestern saw the UCSB Gauchos storm back to tie the dual at 3-all before freshman Spencer Wolf (Coral Springs, Fla./Laurel Springs) won the deciding match for the 'Cats in a third set tiebreak at No. 3 singles. The win provides some momentum for NU heading into a tough weekend at home when the 'Cats host Notre Dame and Indiana.
"I'm proud of how hard the guys fought to win today," said head coach Arvid Swan. "As always, our freshmen are contributing greatly to the team. We are looking forward to hosting two very competitive teams this weekend."
Northwestern took the 1-0 lead by sweeping all three doubles matches. Joshua Graves (Milwaukee, Wis./Nicolet) and Mark Schanerman (N. Miami Beach, Fla./Krop) were first off the courts with an 8-4 win over the Gauchos' Evan Jurgensen and Scott Hohenstein at No. 2 doubles.
Wolf and captain Alex Sanborn (Houston, Texas/Kinkaid) provided the clincher at No. 3, defeating Lucas Sudow and Benjamin Recknagel with an identical score of 8-4.
Andrew McCarthy (Cincinnati, Ohio/Indian Hill) and Tobias Reitz (Reinbeck, Germany/Sachsenwaldschule Reinbeck) snapped a four-match losing streak with an 8-6 victory at No. 1 over Alex Konigsfeldt and Taylor Chavez Goggin.
The 'Cats built on their lead with a Sidarth Balaji (Fairfax, Va./Fairfax) victory at No. 4 singles over Hohenstein. The 7-6 (6), 6-2 decision marked the freshman's third consecutive win, the longest active streak on the team.
Graves' 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 1 over UCSB's Philip Therp gave Northwestern a 3-0 lead, but it was the last point the 'Cats would win for a while as the Gauchos fought back to tie it.
First, Recknagel defeated Sanborn in straight sets at No. 5 singles to put UCSB on the board. Konigsfeldt followed at No. 2 with a 6-2, 6-4 win over McCarthy before Mathieu Forget topped Schanerman in two tight sets at No. 6 to even the dual, 3-all.
It all came down to No. 3 singles, where freshman Spencer Wolf faced off against UCSB freshman Lucas Sudow, a player who had dropped just one singles match in dual play. Wolf dropped a close first set, 5-7, and then took the second, 6-4.
In the only match of the dual to go three sets, neither freshman gave an inch and sent the set to a tiebreak that would decide the dual. Wolf emerged with the 7-5 win in the breaker, giving NU the 4-3 dual victory and handing Sudow just his second dual defeat of the season.
The Wildcats return to Evanston this weekend, hosting Notre Dame on Saturday at 12 p.m. and Indiana on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Combe Tennis Center.
Doubles
1: Andrew McCarthy/Tobias Reitz (NU) def. Alex Konigsfeldt/Taylor Chavez Goggin (UCSB) 8-6
2: Joshua Graves/Mark Schanerman (NU) def. Evan Jurgensen/Scott Hohenstein (UCSB) 8-4
3: Spencer Wolf/Alex Sanborn (NU) def. Lucas Sudow/Benjamin Recknagel (UCSB) 8-4
Order of finish: 2, 3, 1
Singles
1. Joshua Graves (NU) def. Philip Therp (UCSB) 6-4, 6-1
2. Alex Konigsfeldt (UCSB) def. Andrew McCarthy (NU) 6-2, 6-4
3. Spencer Wolf (NU) def. Lucas Sudow (UCSB) 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(5)
4. Sidarth Balaji (NU) def. Scott Hohenstein (UCSB) 7-6(6), 6-2
5. Benjamin Recknagel (UCSB) def. Alex Sanborn (NU) 6-3, 6-3
6. Mathieu Forget (UCSB) def. Mark Schanerman (NU) 6-4, 7-6(3)
Order of finish: 4, 1, 5, 2, 6, 3
