GENEVA, N.Y. – The Hobart College tennis team defeated Ithaca 6-3 this afternoon in a match contested on the outdoor courts at the HWS Tennis Center. The win improves the Statesmen to 3-4 overall on the season and snapped their four-match losing streak.
Hobart took control of the contest early, sweeping doubles play. Sophomore
Harry Nichols and first-year
Patrick Gray won at No. 3, 8-4. In the top spot, juniors
Danny Kot and
Michael Rusk cruised to an 8-3 victory over the Bombers' Wes Davis and Lorenzo Viguie-Ramos. First-years
Jonah Salita and
Jonathan Atwater edged Ithaca's No. 2 team 9-7.
In singles play, Nichols collected his second win of the afternoon at No. 4, defeating Nate Wolf 6-3, 6-4 to give the Statesmen a 4-0 lead in the match. After dropping his first set, Salita cruised through the second and third sets to clinch the overall victory for Hobart. Salita defeated Michael Gardiner 2-6, 6-2, 6-1. Rusk added to the Statesmen's lead with a 2-6, 7-5, 10-6 victory over Wes Davis at No. 3.
Chris Hayes, Brandon Buksbaum, and Lorenzo Viguie-Ramos notched the singles wins for the Bombers on the night. Hayes survived a two hour first set, 7-5, and then won 6-3 in the second set.
The Statesmen will be back in action next Tuesday, March 29, when they Host Division II Roberts Wesleyan. The match against the Redhawks is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.