NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Piedmont 7, Covenant 2
Records: Piedmont, 14-5 (3-0 CCS); Covenant, 8-10 (2-1 CCS)
DEMOREST, Ga. - Piedmont men's tennis took a 7-2 thriller on Saturday afternoon in Demorest, outlasting Covenant in a match that took over five hours to complete.
In a three-set marathon,
Bryce VanOrder played hero, delivering the clinching win with the match still well up for grabs.
The win marks Piedmont's first over Covenant since 2019 and snapped a six-match losing streak to the Scots.
The Lions began the day in strong fashion, taking two-of-three doubles matches to grab control of the match.
It was
Mike Porcelli and
Charles Parnell delivering an 8-4 win at No. 2, while
Connor Phelps and
Yannick Wassmer Navarro prevailed 8-5 at No. 3.
The No. 1 doubles team of
Silas Sandles and
Simon Johnstone battled at No. 1, but Austin Dreslinski and Ben Onufrock prevailed (8-5) to salvage a point for the Scots.
With the women's match happening simultaneously, only No. 1 through No. 3 singles went on court to start singles action. Although the Lions dropped the first set at No. 1 and No. 2, freshman
Mark Backeberg delivered an emphatic first set win and followed it up by closing out his match in straight sets for a 6-2, 6-4 triumph while Onufrock rolled to a 6-4, 6-0 win at No. 1 over Wassmer Navarro.
Taking the court after Backeberg, Porcelli dominated from start to finish at No. 5, as he did not drop a game in his opening set before closing the door in a solid second set as well, 6-0, 6-2.
VanOrder then turned the tides of his match by winning his second set, 6-3, to force a third. The senior quickly raced out to a 4-0 lead in the deciding set, but Dreslinski battled back before VanOrder finally closed out the match with a 7-5 win in the third set for a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 win overall.
With the outcome decided, the Lions and Scots continued to battle, as the final two matches each went to third set breakers.
Piedmont was victorious in both, with Phelps winning first (6-3, 3-6, 10-8) at No. 4 before Sandles rallied back from dropping his first set to win, 5-7, 6-3, 11-9, and put an exclamation point on the match.
The win puts the Lions in the driver's seat at the top of the CCS conference standings.
Up next, the Lions will take to the road to battle No. 16 Sewanee tomorrow at 1 p.m.
TURNING POINT:
- VanOrder rallied back from dropping his first set to win a marathon three-setter over Dreslinski and clinch the match at 5-2 for the Lions.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- Phelps and Porcelli each picked up a doubles and singles win on the day.
NEWS AND NOTES:
- The win for Piedmont snapped a six-match losing streak against Covenant.
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
Facebook. To follow each Piedmont athletic program on social media, use the Social Media Directory at PiedmontLions.com or
click here.
