NORTON, Mass. — Five different players earned their first respective collegiate victories in an 8-1 win for the Wheaton College (Mass.) men's tennis team over visiting Colby-Sawyer College this afternoon in the season opener for both teams at Beard Field House on the campus of Wheaton in Norton, Mass.
The Lyons improve to 1-0 on the season in the dual match, while the Chargers dip to 0-1. Number three, four, five and six singles were all played to four games in the interest of time.
Five first year players earned victories for Wheaton today, including four double winners.
First year Jaime Galligo (Ciudalcampo, Spain) teamed with classmate Jake Murray (San Diego, Calif.) for an 8-2 win at number one doubles over the Colby-Sawyer tandem of sophomore Zsombor Homonnay (Dunakeszi, Hungary) and junior Aidan Jensen (Essex, Vt.). The triumph was the catalyst for a doubles sweep for the Lyons to take a 3-0 lead into singles play. Wheaton took the first four singles matches to take a 7-0 lead, before the Chargers gained their lone point at fourth singles to make it 7-1.
Junior Daniel Bor (Seattle, Wash.) and first year Calvin Van Dyke (Albuquerque, N.M.) did not drop a game in an 8-0 win at number three doubles for the Lyons over Colby-Sawyer senior Cohl Schusler (Bradford, N.H.) and first year Markus Rankins (Latham, N.Y.). First year Paul Berteaux combined with senior Eli Hanlon (Branford, Conn.) to complete the doubles sweep for the home team with a hard-fought 8-7 (6) win at second doubles over the sophomore brother duo of Ashton and Peyton Meuse (Newport, N.H.).
Galligo cruised at first singles over Homonnay, 6-0, 6-1, for his first collegiate singles win, before Berteaux picked up his first career win for Wheaton as well with a 4-0, 4-1 decision at number three over Peyton Meuse to give the home team the fifth and deciding point. Murray also recorded his first win at the collegiate level in singles action for the Lyons with a 6-4, 7-5 triumph at second singles over Jensen. Hanlon gave Wheaton its seventh straight point of the match with a 4-1, 4-0 outcome at number five singles over Schusler.
Ashton Meuse battled to a three-set victory at fourth singles for the visitors to gain their only point of the afternoon. Meuse won the opening frame, 4-1, before Bor countered with a 4-1 decision of his own for the Lyons. Meuse bared down to take the super tie-breaker, 10-7, to capture the point. First year Jack Thain (The Woodlands, Texas) closed out the match for Wheaton with a 4-2, 2-4, 10-5 win in his first collegiate effort at sixth singles over Rankins.
The Lyons return to the court on Friday, September 15 when they head to Worcester, Mass. to play Assumption University at 2:30 p.m., while the Chargers host the Colby-Sawyer Tennis Jamboree on September 17.
