Feb. 8, 2015
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Despite the rain whipping on and off outside the windows of the Eck Tennis Pavilion on Sunday, the University of Notre Dame men’s tennis team enjoyed a pair of breezy wins in a split doubleheader with Ball State and Wisconsin.
The 16th-ranked Irish swept the Cardinals 7-0 in a match lasting less than two hours to start the morning. In the nightcap, Notre Dame experienced similar success, overpowering the Badgers 6-1.
“Our guys did a great job today, being a long day,” head coach Ryan Sachire said. “Our guys stayed focused and, I thought, did a pretty good job all throughout the day and we got better. We challenged those guys physically, those that had to play in both matches, and the mental challenge of having to be up and alert for a 12-hour stretch. We’ll benefit from today and get back to work in a couple days to get better.”
Notre Dame cruised through the first match of the day, allowing several players to see their first dual match action of the season. Seniors Dougie Barnard and Michael Fredericka debuted at No. 2 doubles, defeating Ball State’s Ray Leonard and Collin Rigney 6-3. The Irish also got a win at No. 1 with usual suspects Billy Pecor and Alex Lawson notching a 6-1 victory over Patrick Elliott and Andrew Stutz. Senior Wyatt McCoy and junior Kenneth Sabacinski also saw their first doubles time of the season, but fell 6-2 to Lucas Andersen and Matt Helm at No. 3.
Sabacinski also cracked the singles lineup, defeating Helm 6-2, 6-3 at No. 6. Nicolas Montoya breezed through his first dual singles match of the season as well, dropping Jan Jirus 6-1, 6-1. In his usual spot at No. 1, junior Quentin Monaghan defeated Andersen, 6-4, 7-5, and sophomore Eddy Covalschi beat Elliott, 6-2, 6-2, at No. 2 singles. Junior Eric Schnurrenberger etched a 6-3, 6-4 win over Leonard on Court 3, while Lawson worked a 6-3, 6-4 victory of his own over Stutz.
“It’s a long season and we’re going to need a lot of players to win some big key matches for us down the stretch,” Sachire said. “It was good for those guys that haven’t played to be able to get on the court and play some matches and be successful.”
The Irish used a mostly conventional lineup against Wisconsin, to similar results. Lawson and Pecor were once again victorious at No. 1 doubles, defeating Alexander Kokorev and Jakhongir Jalalov, 6-3. Monaghan and Schnurrenberger won by the same score at No. 3 doubles, upending Lamar Remy and Darius Mackenzie. Hagar and Covalschi, however, fell 6-1 to Jose Carranza and Josef Dodridge.
The top of the Irish singles lineup finished in order, as Monaghan, Hagar and Covalschi notched straight-set wins. Monaghan downed Kokorev 6-2, 6-1, Hagar defeated Remy 6-2, 6-3 and Covalschi bested Jalalov 6-3, 6-3. At No. 4 singles, Schnurrenberger withstood a late stand by Mackenzie, eking out a 6-4, 7-5 win. In the No. 6 slot, Montoya battled for his second win of the day, with a 6-2, 6-4, 1-0(10-8) win over Carranza.
In the No. 5 slot, Pecor fell for the first time this season, a 6-2, 3-6, 0-1 (2-10) loss to Dodridge.
The Irish return to action next Saturday when they travel to Ann Arbor, Michigan to take on the No. 47 Wolverines. For the latest on the team, follow @NDMensTennis on Twitter and like Notre Dame Men’s Tennis on Facebook.
No. 16 Notre Dame 7, Ball State 0
SINGLES
1. No. 37 Quentin Monaghan (ND) def. Lucas Andersen (BSU), 6-4, 7-5
2. Eddy Covalschi (ND) def. Patrick Elliott (BSU), 6-2, 6-2
3. Eric Schnurrenberger (ND) def. Ray Leonard (BSU), 6-3, 6-4
4. Nicolas Montoya (ND) def. Jan Jirus (BSU), 6-1, 6-1
5. Alex Lawson (ND) def. Andrew Stutz (BSU), 6-3, 6-4
6. Kenneth Sabacinski (ND) def. Matt Helm (BSU), 6-2, 6-3
DOUBLES
1. No. 8 Billy Pecor / Alex Lawson (ND) def. Patrick Elliott / Andrew Stutz (BSU), 6-1
2. Dougie Barnard / Michael Fredericka (ND) def. Ray Leonard / Collin Rigney (BSU), 6-3
3. Lucas Andersen / Matt Helm (BSU) def. Wyatt McCoy / Kenneth Sabacinski (ND), 6-2
No. 16 Notre Dame 6, Wisconsin 1
SINGLES
1. No. 37 Quentin Monaghan (ND) def. Alexander Kokorev (UW), 6-2, 6-1
2. No. 82 Josh Hagar (ND) def. Lamar Remy (UW), 6-2, 6-3
3. Eddy Covalschi (ND) def. Jakhongir Jalalov (UW), 6-3, 6-3
4. Eric Schnurrenberger (ND) def. Darius Mackenzie (UW), 6-4, 7-5
5. Josef Dodridge (UW) def. Billy Pecor (ND), 2-6, 6-3, 1-0(10-2)
6. Nicolas Montoya (ND) def. Jose Carranza (UW), 6-2, 4-6, 1-0(10-8)
DOUBLES
1. No. 8 Billy Pecor / Alex Lawson (ND) def. Alexander Kokorev / Jakhongir Jalalov (UW), 6-3
2. Jose Carranza / Josef Dodridge (UW) def. No. 9 Josh Hagar / Eddy Covalschi (ND), 6-1
3. Quentin Monaghan / Eric Schnurrenberger (ND) def. Lamar Remy / Darius Mackenzie (UW), 6-3
By Joanne Norell, Media Relations Assistant
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