NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Piedmont 5, Huntingdon 0
Records: Piedmont, 19-6; Huntingdon, 4-12
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Less than two hours was all it took for Piedmont men's tennis to dispatch Huntingdon 5-0 and book a spot in the CCS Tournament Final.
On a beautiful Friday afternoon in Chattanooga, the Lions rode the momentum from a doubles sweep into singles and then put the pedal down quickly to clinch the match.
Bryce VanOrder delivered the clinching win for the second straight match, not dropping a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 3.
Doubles set the tone for the afternoon, as the Lions' No. 2 doubles team of
Charles Parnell and
Mike Porcelli continued their excellent work, rolling to an 8-1 victory to put the opening point of the match on the board for Piedmont.
Then, it was the No. 3 team of
Yannick Wassmer Navarro and
Connor Phelps that made it 2-0 with an 8-3 win at No. 3.
Fresh off being named CCS Doubles Team of the Week for the second week in a row,
Mark Backeberg and
Silas Sandles emerged victorious in a hard-fought battle to win 8-6 at No. 1. The duo was pushed to the brink, but finally delivered a late break and then served it out for the 3-0 Piedmont lead.
Singles action saw the Lions take control quickly, with Backeberg and VanOrder rolling to quick first set wins while Wassmer Navarro also took a first set at No. 1 along with Phelps at No. 5.
Backeberg was the first to clinch, cruising 6-1, 6-0 at No. 4 to set the stage for VanOrder.
In fitting fashion, VanOrder came back from down 15-40 in his final game to close the door and remain unblemished on the day.
The Lions will await No. 2 seed Covenant in a rematch of last season's CCS Tournament Final, which went the way of the Scots. Piedmont took the regular season meeting, in Demorest, by a 7-2 score.
TURNING POINT:
- Backeberg and Sandles won a battle at No. 1 to slam the door on any momentum the Hawks had going into singles.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- Backeberg was the only Lion to deliver a doubles and singles win on the day.
HOW TO FOLLOW:
- To stay up to date on all information regarding Piedmont University Athletics, be sure to visit PiedmontLions.com and connect with the Green and Gold on social media. Follow the Lions on
Twitter: @PiedmontLions,
Instagram: @PiedmontLions, and
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