Results
GAMBIER, Ohio – Allegheny took a 2-1 lead in doubles, fought off an early singles rally by the Wabash Little Giants and scored a season-ending, 5-3 win in the fifth-place match of the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) tournament at VandenBerg Courts on Saturday afternoon.
In a four-hour, marathon match, the Gators saw juniors
Tyler Triolo and
Thomas Manning open the scoring with an 8-5 decision at top-flight singles over the Wabash pairing of Daniel Delgado and William Reifeis that entered the weekend ranked No. 3 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division III Central Region Poll. Senior
Daniel Conroy and freshman
Jai Redkar won third-flight doubles, 8-3, to hand the Gators a 2-1 lead headed into singles.
Wabash responded with a win at No. 3 singles, but Manning upended Delgado, ranked No. 28 in the region, 6-4, 6-2 to put the Gators ahead once again, 3-2. After another Little Giants victory tied the match at 3-3, senior
Alexander Hurtuk brought the Gators to the brink by coming back from a set down and picking up a 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 win at second-flight singles.
Junior
Samarth Gopal closed the door on the Wabash rally with a 6-3, 6-4 win at sixth-flight, clinching the match for the Gators and their second tournament win over Wabash in the last five seasons.