NGU tennis swats Greensboro, builds momentum for upcoming home matches
Posted by The Skyliner on February 25th, 2009Paul Conner
Staff Writer
After a week of preparation, the NGU men’s tennis team traveled to Greensboro College (N.C.) and defeated the Pride 8-1 overall, 5-1 in singles and 3-0 in doubles. The women’s team shut out Greensboro 9-0 overall, 6-0 in singles and 3-0 in doubles.
“The guys played well, and the girls played well,” said Crusaders tennis coach Mark Elliot. “Greensboro was a good team, but we showed up to play.
North Greenville’s number one doubles team Gabriel Altmayer, senior international business, and Timur Kamilou, freshman undecided, defeated the Pride’s David Sutton and Caleb Shelton 8-3.
File Photo
Altmayer, William Ho, senior marketing/business administration, Jacob Rogers, senior Christian studies, Juan Carlos Aguilera, senior economics, and Guilherme Vasques, senior business administration, all picked up wins in their singles matches.
Sutton, Greensboro’s number one singles player, defeated Kamilou 6-0, 6-3 for the Pride’s only win of the afternoon.
North Greenville (2-5) rebounded from a 0-9 shutout against No. 11-ranked Lander last on Feb. 14 to pick up their second win on the season. Having fought through a difficult early season, the Crusaders will play seven of their next eight matches in the friendly confines of the Greer Tennis Center.
“When our players walk out on the court, they’re not afraid to play anyone because they have played the best this year,” Elliot said.
North Greenville will look for their first home victory against No. 31-ranked Tusculum this Saturday at 1 p.m. The Crusaders have lost all three home matches and have split their away matches 2-2.
“They are nationally ranked, but they’re not ranked at the top, so it should be a good match,” Elliot said.
Last season Tomas Kurhajec, the team’s former number one, suffered a knee injury that caused him to miss most of 2008. Kurhajec was scheduled to return to the team last week but tore another ligament in his knee in rehab, forcing the Slovakian to wear a leg cast. Elliot does not expect Korhajec to be available to the team this season.
The women’s number one Salem Erni, junior interdisciplinary studies, topped Brittany Price 6-1, 6-4, and Cherie Curtis, senior elementary education, battled back for a 3-6, 6-4, 10-6 victory over Britney Smith. Courtney Lynn, senior psychology, shut out Brittany Cates 6-0, 6-0, and Katherine Shaw, freshman undecided, Stephanie Tyrpak, senior broadcast media/Spanish, and Natalie Stewart, sophomore business administration, picked up wins for North Greenville (3-2). Erni and Shaw won their doubles match 8-3, and Lynn and Curtis triumphed 8-3. Tyrpak and Stewart won 8-0.
“[Curtis] struggled a little bit, but I’m glad she was able to pull it out,” Elliot said. “She was in danger of being the only girl to lose, but she bore down and played well in the third set tiebreaker.”
Like the men’s team, the Lady Crusaders are also gearing up for a seven-game homestand beginning Saturday against Tusculum at the Greer Tennis Center at 1 p.m. North Greenville has won both away matches and have gone 1-2 at home.