Box Score

LOGAN, W. Va. – Winning five singles matches in straight sets, the 21st-ranked University of Pikeville men's tennis team opens the season 1-0 after a 7-2 win against NCAA Div. II Charleston (W. Va.) on Tuesday night at the Chief Logan Lodge Recreation Center.

The night started off with UPIKE (1-0) taking two of three doubles matches. Top-seeded pair Dmitry Babenkov and Sven Rodenbusch topped James Gummell and Dennis Okoth 8-5, while third-seeded Connor Smith and Felix Singer used one more game to beat Jake Lorenz and Gabriel Seymour 8-6.

Moving on to singles play with a 2-1 lead, Pikeville got a win at the No. 1 seed from Rodenbush, fighting past Gammell 7-5, 6-4. The Golden Eagles (0-2) picked up their second win of the night at No. 2 with Matt Sherba using three sets to top Babenkov 6-1, 1-6, 6-4.

The Bears wrapped up the win with successful matches at the third through sixth seeds.

No. 3 Francois Billet had to fight to a 7-5 win in the first set before putting away Okoth 6-2 in the second. Fourth-seeded Pawel Tarasewiscz won a battle against Lorenz 6-4, 7-6 with a 7-5 win in the second-set tiebreaker.

The final two seeds had an easier time as UPIKE's Singer took care of Verun Shah 6-2, 6-1 at No. 5 and No. 6 seed Juan Manuel Reyes dispatched Nick Bakos 6-1, 6-1.

Pikeville earns the win on the same day the NAIA released its first coaches' top-25 poll of the season. The Bears stayed put at No. 21 where they were rated in the preseason edition.

UPIKE is back on the courts at 3 p.m. ET on Friday at Morehead State in Morehead, Ky.


 
No. 21 UPIKE 7, Charleston (W. Va.) 2

Feb. 18, 2014 at Chief Logan Lodge Recreation Center (Logan, W. Va.)

 
Singles
1. Sven Rodenbusch (UPIKE) def. James Gammell (UC) 7-5, 6-4
2. Matt Sherba (UC) def. Dmitry Babenkov (UPIKE) 6-1, 1-6, 6-4
3. Francois Billet (UPIKE) def. Dennis Okoth (UC) 7-5, 6-2
4. Pawel Tarasewiscz (UPIKE) def. Jake Lorenz (UC) 6-4, 7-6 (5)
5. Felix Singer (UPIKE) def. Verun Shah (UC) 6-2, 6-1
6. Juan Manuel Reyes (UPIKE) def. Nick Bakos 6-1, 6-1

 
Doubles
1. Dmitry Babenkoz/Sven Rodenbusch (UPIKE) def. James Gammell/Dennis Okoth 8-5
2. Matt Sherba/Davey Nelson (UC) def. Pawel Tarasewiscz/Marcos Fondelius (UPIKE) 8-5
3. Connor Smith/Felix Singer (UPIKE) def. Jake Lorenz/Gabriel Seymour (UC) 8-6

 
Match Notes
Pikeville 1-0; National Ranking: No. 21
Charleston 0-2; National Ranking: UR