JSU Men's Tennis Opens Defense of OVC Crown With Win at Morehead State

Friday, March 13

Morehead, KY

1 p.m.

Jacksonville State University

Morehead State

JSU Men's Tennis Opens Defense of OVC Crown With Win at Morehead State

3/14/2015 12:16:00 AM | Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis

Men's Box Score | Women's Box Score

MOREHEAD, Ky. – The Jacksonville State men's tennis team has picked up right where it has left off from last season against Ohio Valley Conference competition as the Gamecocks won their 10^th consecutive match dating back to last season with a 5-2 win at Morehead State to start the 2015 OVC slate.

The defending OVC Champions and OVC Tournament Champions topped the Eagles of MSU for the third time in the last two seasons on Friday. The two met at the end of the 2014 regular season and in the semifinals of the OVC Tournament. The win moved JSU to 5-6 on the season, while the Eagles dropped to 2-8 overall.

The Gamecocks had to adjust to playing indoors on the MSU campus and it didn't take them long as they claimed the doubles point to start the match. JSU's No. 3 duo of Jaryd Reese and Felipe Wenzel topped MSU's pairing of Jose Zurro and Enrique Samudio, 8-5. Jax State clinched the doubles point in a tie breaker situation at No. 1. JSU's duo of Jefferson Wendler-Filho and Pedro Wagner edged MSU's team of Ritchie Kruunenberg and Gabriel Ruiz, 8-7 (7-4).

After a thrilling doubles point win, JSU won a pair of three set matches at No. 4 and 5 to gain an edge in the match. At No. 4, sophomore Mathias Chaim ousted MSU's Nick Mercer after falling in the first set in a tiebreaker, 7-6, Chaim forced the third set with a 6-4 win in the second. Chaim would claim the third set tiebreaker, 7-6. Reese had a solid day after helping JSU to the double point, the sophomore split the first two sets with Zurro and went on to win the point with a 7-5 win in the third.

Wendler-Filho, who now owns a 9-1 career mark in singles play, picked up his ninth win at No. 2 by dispatched MSU's Sabastian Penaloza, 6-4, 6-4. Sophomore Dylan Gee notched his eighth win in nine OVC outings with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Ruiz.

In the women's match, the Eagles posted a 6-1 win over the JSU (2-8) women to start conference play. The Eagles started strong by claiming the doubles point and continued that momentum in to singles play by winning five of the six singles matches. Jax State sophomore Claudia Marsala picked up the lone point as she downed Dominique McLean, 6-4, 6-4 at No. 3.

Both teams remain in the Bluegrass State for a Saturday contest with Eastern Kentucky. The women's match will get under way at 9 a.m. CST, followed by the men's contest at 11:30 CST.