SALEM, Mass. - The Western Connecticut State University men's tennis team fell at LEC foe Salem State, 8-1, on Saturday at Central Campus Tennis Courts. The Vikings win their first Little East Conference match and improve to 3-4 and 1-1 in conference. WestConn slid to 2-7 and 1-2 in the LEC.
"It was a tough loss today. I expected the matches to be close, and many courts were closer than the score indicated. In order to win these matches, our team needs to do a better job at executing the big points," said WCSU head coach Shawn Stillman following play.
The Vikings swept all six singles matches in straight sets. Andrew Muttiah (Colombo, Sri Lanka) downed Kevin Tenesaca (Danbury, Conn.) 6-0, 6-0 at first singles while Roni Bazile (Brockton, Mass.) won 6-0, 6-2 over Sebastian Frisch (Redding, Conn.). Grant Bellino (Amesbury, Mass.) and Cory Cherico (Winthrop, Mass.) won at third and fourth singles respectively with Bellino winning 6-2, 6-1 against Jay Kilcourse (New Fairfield, Conn.) and Cherico defeating Mitchell Kindred (New Fairfield, Conn.) 6-2, 6-3.
Parker Andreoli (Windham, N.H.) beat Nicholas Peschier (Bridgeport, Conn.) 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) in a tie breaker at fifth singles while Adam Stanneck (Washington, N.J.) picked up a victory at sixth singles 6-2, 6-3 over Caleb Harris (Guilford, Conn.).
WestConn won their point at first doubles as Kilcourse / Tenesaca beat Bellino / Bazile 8-2. Muttiah / Cherico won 8-5 over Kindred / Frisch at second doubles and Kevin Merino-Rivas (Billerica, Mass.) / Andreoli won 8-1 at third doubles over Harris / Narcisse.
WCSU returns to action against visiting non-league foe Lehman College on Tuesday.
