Feb. 16, 2014
GGC 6, Xavier 1
The fifth-ranked Georgia Gwinnett men’s tennis team completed a stellar road trip by knocking off No. 6 Xavier (La.) on Sunday, 6-1, in Hattiesburg, Miss.
The win gave the Grizzlies their third victory over a top-15 NAIA opponent in three days as GGC improved to 5-0 overall. The Gold Rush, which reached last year’s NAIA national championship quarterfinals and returned a pair of NAIA All-Americans this year, fell to 2-4 overall with its second NAIA defeat.
Sophomore Matias Hatem clinched the match for the Grizzlies with a 6-0, 6-1 victory at fourth singles.
“Xavier is a really talented team and I feel like our men’s team has proven itself as a competitor at the top of the NAIA,” said GGC head coach Chase Hodges. “The guys who continue to anchor us really stepped up and we feel that our lineup is very interchangeable right now.”
The Grizzlies built a 2-1 lead after doubles play as the teams of Connor Clements/Bruno Tiberti and Matias Hatem/Luke Morland completed 8-2 and 8-3 wins, respectively. Xavier took the first doubles point by an 8-6 score.
Georgia Gwinnett created separation when singles play began.
Sophomore Mark Verryth pulled out a 6-4, 6-2 win over Kyle Montrel at first singles as GGC captured each of the top four singles lines.
“Mark played extremely well coming off a loss yesterday and he was definitely a highlight as he beat a great player today,” Hodges said.
Bruno Tiberti defeated Xavier’s Nikita Soifer at second singles, 6-1, 7-5, while Erik Moberg outlasted Tushar Mandlekar, 6-7, 6-1, 6-4 at third singles.
Hatem’s fifth singles win in five tries this year completed the overall victory for GGC.
The neutral match was played at William Carey’s home courts in Hattiesburg. GGC and Xavier were ranked one and two in the preseason Association of Independent Institutions and associated grouping.
The Grizzlies defeated No. 15 William Carey on Saturday by an 8-1 score and shut out No. 13 Belhaven on Friday.
“We picked up three nationally ranked wins and this weekend prepares us for what lies ahead,” added Hodges. “We are a work in progress, but we feel good about where we are.”
