Men’s Tennis

Category: Men’s Tennis

Sherwood takes second to pace Vikings in singles competition at MWC Championships

MADISON, Wis. — Craig Sherwood took second place at No. 4 singles to pace the Lawrence University men’s tennis team during the singles portion of the Midwest Conference Championships on Saturday at Nielsen Tennis Stadium.

Sherwood, who took second at No. 5 singles as freshman in 2012, lost to Grinnell College’s C.J. Ray 6-3, 6-3 in the championship match. Sherwood had reached the title match with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Illinois College’s Caleb Brown in the quarterfinals and a 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-0 win over Marco Franco of Monmouth College in the semifinals.

In the other flights, Cooper Smith lost to eventual champion John Adams of Lake Forest College in the championship semifinals at No. 1 singles. Jason Dunn lost in the championship quarterfinals at No. 2 but came back to win the consolation final, defeating Walter Palmer of Knox College 8-5.

Max Zlevor lost in the championship quarterfinals at No. 3 and was then eliminated in the consolation first round. At No. 5, freshman Brian DeCorte reached the championship semifinals before falling to Carroll University’s Frank Giuffre. Jeremy Andereck also reached the championship semifinals before losing to eventual champion Charlie Wilhelm of Grinnell.

Lawrence, which is assured of second place in the championships based on its finish the MWC Team Tournament, wraps up play this season in the doubles competition on Sunday.

Results

Vikings fall to Grinnell in MWC championship match

MADISON, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s tennis team fell to Grinnell College 5-0 in the Midwest Conference Tournament championship match on Friday at Nielsen Tennis Stadium.

Lawrence, in search of its first conference championship since 1968, dropped all three doubles matches, and Grinnell closed out the victory with wins at Nos. 4 and 6 singles. Lawrence’s second-place finish in the conference is its best since taking second in 2003.

The Vikings earned a berth in the title match by beating Monmouth College 5-3 in the MWC Tournament semifinals on Friday morning. The Vikings trailed 2-1 after the doubles with Craig Sherwood and Brian DeCorte picking up the lone win for Lawrence.

Lawrence rebounded to win four of the six singles matches as the bottom half of the lineup dominated the Scots. Sherwood won 6-4, 6-0 at No. 4 and DeCorte was a 6-0, 6-4 winner at No. 5. Jeremy Andereck picked up a 6-0, 6-2 victory at No. 6 for Lawrence. Cooper Smith completed the singles victories for Lawrence with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory at No. 1.

Lawrence tops Monmouth to reach conference championship match

MADISON, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s tennis team will play for the Midwest Conference championship on Friday afternoon.

Lawrence (14-6) beat Monmouth College 5-3 in the MWC Tournament semifinals on Friday morning at Nielsen Tennis Stadium. Lawrence will play defending conference champion Grinnell College at 1:30 p.m. Friday for the league title.

The Vikings trailed 2-1 after the doubles with Craig Sherwood and Brian DeCorte picking up the lone win for Lawrence.

Lawrence rebounded to win four of the six singles matches as the bottom half of the lineup dominated the Scots. Sherwood won 6-4, 6-0 at No. 4 and DeCorte was a 6-0, 6-4 winner at No. 5. Jeremy Andereck picked up a 6-0, 6-2 victory at No. 6 for Lawrence. Cooper Smith completed the singles victories for Lawrence with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory at No. 1.

Lawrence is in search of its first conference championship since 1968.

Box score

Lawrence blanks St. Norbert; Vikings win MWC North Division

OSHKOSH, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s tennis team completed its undefeated run through the Midwest Conference’s North Division with a 9-0 shutout of St. Norbert College on Sunday at the YMCA Tennis Center.

Lawrence (13-6, 4-0 MWC) wins the North Division title for the second time in the last four seasons after also taking the championship in 2010. The Vikings will be the top seed from the North Division in the four team Midwest Conference Tournament on Friday in Madison, Wis. Lawrence will face the second seed from the South Division, Monmouth College, in the semifinals. The South Division champ, Grinnell College, faces Carroll University in the other semifinal.

Lawrence got off to a great start on Sunday by sweeping the three doubles matches, but it wasn’t easy. The No. 1 doubles team of Jason Dunn and Max Zlevor won 8-2. But Cooper Smith and Jeremy Andereck won a hard-fought 9-7 decision at No. 2, and Craig Sherwood and Brian DeCorte needed to win a tiebreaker for the victory at No. 3.

Lawrence then swept the singles with Smith (No. 1), Dunn (No. 2) and De Corte (No. 5) all winning in straight sets. Zlevor dropped the first set but then didn’t drop a game in the final two sets to win at No. 3. Both Sherwood (No. 4) and Andereck (No. 6) won supertiebreakers to claim victories after splitting the first two sets.

Lawrence University 9, St. Norbert College 0

Singles competition
1. Cooper Smith (LU) def. Matt Lobeck (SNC) 6-2, 6-2
2. Jason Dunn (LU) def. Tim Hartwick (SNC) 6-1, 6-4
3. Max Zlevor (LU) def. Nick Acosta (SNC) 5-7, 6-0, 6-0
4. Craig Sherwood (LU) def. Travis Buechel (SNC) 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-8)
5. Brian DeCorte (LU) def. Josh Sweere (SNC) 6-0, 6-4
6. Jeremy Andereck (LU) def. Nate Gosz (SNC) 1-6, 7-5, 1-0 (13-11)

Doubles competition
1. Jason Dunn/Max Zlevor (LU) def. Tim Hartwick/Nick Acosta (SNC) 8-2
2. Cooper Smith/Jeremy Andereck (LU) def. Matt Lobeck/Casey Brice (SNC) 9-7
3. Craig Sherwood/Brian DeCorte (LU) def. Travis Buechel/Nate Gosz (SNC) 9-8 (11-9)

Match Notes:
St. Norbert College 6-11, 2-2 MWC North
Lawrence University 13-6, 4-0 MWC North
T-4:00  A-25

Vikings cruise to victory over Foresters

LAKE BLUFF, Ill. — The Lawrence University men’s tennis team rolled to an 8-1 Midwest Conference North Division victory over Lake Forest College on Friday night.

Lawrence (12-6, 3-0 MWC) remains unbeaten in North Division play and wraps up conference play on Sunday when it faces St. Norbert College. A win over the Green Knights would clinch the North Division title and a berth in the MWC Tournament.

The Vikings started the evening with a sweep of the doubles competition against Lake Forest (9-10, 1-3). Lawrence then won the Nos. 2-6 singles matches without dropping a set.

Jason Dunn, Max Zlevor, Craig Sherwood, Brian DeCorte and Jeremy Andereck were all singles winners for the Vikings.

Lawrence University 8, Lake Forest College 1

Singles competition
1. John Adams (LFC) def. Cooper Smith (LU) 6-0, 6-2
2. Jason Dunn (LU) def. Mike Riley (LFC) 6-1, 6-4
3. Max Zlevor (LU) def. AnthonyMykhaylovskyy (LFC) 6-3, 6-1
4. Craig Sherwood (LU) def. Kevin Lasky (LFC) 7-5, 6-3
5. Brian DeCorte (LU) def. Jerry Wang (LFC) 6-2, 6-2
6. Jeremy Andereck (LU) def. John Snider (LFC) 6-4, 7-5

Doubles competition
1. Jason Dunn/Max Zlevor (LU) def. John Adams/Mike Riley (LFC) 8-5
2. Cooper Smith/Jeremy Andereck (LU) def. AnthonyMykhaylovskyy/John Snider (LFC) 8-2
3. Craig Sherwood/Brian DeCorte (LU) def. Kevin Lasky/Jerry Wang (LFC) 8-2

Match Notes:
Lawrence University 12-6, 3-0 MWC North
Lake Forest College 9-10, 1-3 MWC North

 

 

Lawrence rolls past Ripon 8-1

OSHKOSH, Wis. — The beat goes on for the Lawrence University men’s tennis team against Ripon College.

In a Midwest Conference North Division match late Wednesday night, the Vikings rolled to an 8-1 victory over the Red Hawks at the YMCA Tennis Center. It marks the sixth consecutive year that Lawrence (11-6, 2-0 MWC) has defeated Ripon (2-14, 0-4), and Lawrence head coach Kevin Girard improved to 6-0 against the Red Hawks.

Despite missing two starters to an academic commitment, the Vikings dropped only one match. Lawrence got the evening started with wins at Nos. 2 and 3 doubles. Craig Sherwood and Brian DeCorte were 8-0 winners at No. 2 and freshmen Daniel Anderson and Mitch Kasprzyk won 8-5 at No. 3.

The Vikings swept the singles with the two subs in the lineup, Anderson and Kasprzyk, both picking up wins. Anderson won 6-0, 6-1 at No. 5 and Kasprzyk was a 6-0, 6-1 winner at No. 6.

The 8-1 win for Lawrence snapped a four-match streak of 9-0 victories against the Red Hawks. It marked the first time Ripon had scored a point against Vikings since a 5-4 Lawrence win back in 2008.   

Lawrence University 8, Ripon College 1

Singles competition
1. Cooper Smith (LU) def. Eric Seiler (RC) 6-1, 6-3
2. Craig Sherwood (LU) def. Connor Greenwald (RC) 6-2, 6-0
3. Brian DeCorte (LU) def. Ryan Slowinski (RC) 6-0, 6-1
4. Jeremy Andereck (LU) def. Brian Schumacher (RC) 6-3, 6-2
5. Daniel Anderson (LU) def. Anders Goodwin (RC) 6-0, 6-1
6. Mitch Kasprzyk (LU) def. Tyler Hopewell (RC) 6-0, 6-1

Doubles competition
1. Eric Seiler/Connor Greenwald (RC) def. Cooper Smith/Jeremy Andereck (LU) 8-2
2. Craig Sherwood/Brian DeCorte (LU) def. Ryan Slowinski/Brian Schumacher (RC) 8-0
3. Daniel Anderson/Mitch Kasprzyk (LU) def. Anders Goodwin/Tyler Hopewell (RC) 8-5

Match Notes:
Ripon College 2-14, 0-4 MWC North
Lawrence University 11-6, 2-0 MWC North
T-3:30  A-20

Inside LU Athletics: Men’s tennis set for critical stretch of MWC play

The season, started so long ago last fall, boils down to the next five days for the Lawrence University men’s tennis team.

The Vikings have three Midwest Conference North Division matches in the next five days and that will determine if Lawrence gets to play for the league championship.

“We’ve got a lot of experience, and we are playing really well,” Lawrence coach Kevin Girard said. “We have to take it day-by-day, step-by-step. We want to win the North and win the whole thing. That’s the idea.”

Lawrence is currently 1-0 in the North Division (10-6 overall), and the top two teams from each division advance to the MWC Tournament. Those four teams then face off for the conference title. Lawrence is itching to get back into the tournament after just missing it the past two seasons.

“The team mantra or attitude is intensity and confidence,” Girard said. “Those are the key words we’ve been using. We instill that attitude for every single practice and every single match.”

Lawrence faces long-time rival Ripon College on Wednesday evening before traveling to Lake Forest College for another evening match on Friday. The Vikings then wrap up division play on Sunday against St. Norbert College, which is currently unbeaten in league play at 2-0, and the Green Knights have won four consecutive matches.

“St. Norbert, they always bring it against us,” Girard said. “They are a tough team. They have been playing really well.”

The Vikings bring a veteran presence to this quest to reach the conference tournament with seniors Cooper Smith, Jason Dunn and Max Zlevor playing Nos. 1-3 singles, respectively.

“It’s all about senior leadership, in my opinon,” Girard said. “They do a great job of keeping everyone in check but also letting the younger guys know when it’s time to get down to business. It’s what competition is all about.”

The rest of the lineup features sophomore Craig Sherwood, who was the MWC Player of the Week, at No. 4 singles, freshman Brian DeCorte at No. 5 and sophomore Jeremy Andereck at No. 6.

Lawrence’s leadership and talent was tested when the Vikings played five matches during spring break in Orlando, Fla., against some great competition. Girard believes the experience of those matches will now pay off. 

“It was basically to get us battle-tested for conference (play),” Girard said of the matches in Florida. “(The conference matches) are the matches that are the most important. We took some lumps down there, but it was getting us ready and knowing what you have to do to win a very important tennis match.”

Pro debut

Senior Phil Bushbacher made his professional hockey debut for the Louisana Ice Gators of the Southern Professional Hockey League earlier this month.

Bushbacher, a forward, played for the Ice Gators in their semifinal playoff series against the Huntsville Havoc.

Bushbacher is the ninth Lawrence player to play in the pro ranks in recent seasons. Matt Hughes, Jameson Raymond and Ben DiMarco all signed pro contracts after the 2011-12 season.

Schacht gets USTA honor

Former Lawrence tennis player Eric Schacht was recently honored by the United States Tennis Association. Schacht, who graduated in 1990 and played in the NCAA Division III Championships for Lawrence, won the Stanley Malless Award.

Now living in Champaign, Ill., Schacht won the award given to a volunteer for distinguished service in his or her district. Schacht led the formation of the Mahomet Community Tennis Association in 2009, and it has been a magnet for junior high and high school girls looking to play the game.

Schacht also has coached two girls’ high school teams and has been a volunteer women’s coach at the University of Illinois.

Pino wins golf award

Lawrence golf standout Rudi Pino was named the MWC Player of the Week after grabbed fourth place at the Marian Invitational. A freshman from Vancouver, Wash., Pino carded his collegiate-low round, a 4-under par 68, in the tournament’s first round at Morningstar Golfers Club in Waukesha, Wis. Pino followed that with a 75 for a 36-hole total of 143 to lead Lawrence to sixth place in the team standings.

Editor’s Note: Inside LU Athletics is a notes package written by Lawrence University Director of Athletic Media Relations Joe Vanden Acker. It will feature teams and individual players, recap weekly awards or highlights and take a look at what’s ahead for the Vikings.

Sherwood picks up Midwest Conference tennis honor

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University men’s tennis standout Craig Sherwood has been named the Midwest Conference Player of the Week.

Sherwood (Kenosha, Wis./Tremper), a sophomore, had a perfect week for the Vikings that included a key singles victory in Lawrence’s 5-4 win over Carroll University this past Saturday. Sherwood also posted a 2-0 record in doubles.

In Lawrence’s victory over Carroll, Sherwood defeated Isaac Jordan 6-0, 2-6, 6-3 at No. 4 singles to help clinch a critical North Division win over the Pioneers. He also teamed with Brian DeCorte (Southampton, Pa./William Tennent) for an 8-5 victory at No. 3 doubles. Sherwood and DeCorte also posted an 8-0 victory at No. 2 doubles in Lawrence’s 9-0 win over Dominican (Ill.) the following day.

Sherwood, who was honored by the conference for the first time, improved his singles record on the season to 8-7. Sherwood and DeCorte have a 9-6 mark in doubles.

Lawrence returns to action on Wednesday night when it hosts Ripon College in a Midwest Conference North Division match.

Men’s tennis match at Lake Forest moved up one day

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s tennis match at Lake Forest College is now scheduled to be played on Friday night.

The match, originally scheduled for Saturday, will now be Friday at 8:30 p.m. at the Racquet Club of Lake Bluff in Lake Bluff, Ill.

Lawrence returns to action tonight when it hosts Ripon College at 8:30 p.m. at the YMCA Tennis Center in Oshkosh, Wis.

Weather forces changes to men’s, women’s tennis schedules

APPLETON, Wis. — The poor weather forecast for later this week has forced a pair of changes to the Lawrence University tennis schedules.

The Lawrence men’s match vs. Ripon will be played on Wednesday but the site and time has changed. The match will now be played at the Oshkosh YMCA Tennis Center at 8:30 p.m.

The Lawrence women’s match, which was scheduled for Thursday at the Lawrence Courts, has been moved to April 25 at 3:30 p.m. at the same site.