GRANVILLE, Ohio (March 4, 2023) – The No. 12 Denison University men's tennis team returned home to host its final two matches before its Spring Break trip to Florida. In the end, the Big Red defeated Kalamazoo College 9-0 before taking down one of the top-ranked teams in the NAIA, the University of Northwestern Ohio, by a final score of 4-3.
Kalamazoo is ranked No. 8 in the NCAA Division III Central Region behind the fourth-ranked Big Red. Northwestern Ohio, meanwhile, is ranked No. 4 in the NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top-25 Poll.
Notable Results:
Match #1 – No. 12 Denison 9, Kalamazoo 0:
Doubles
Singles
- Zachary Portnoy started off singles with a 6-2, 6-2 win in the No. 4 spot and was followed by wins of 6-0, 6-3 by Harms at No. 2 singles and 6-1, 6-3 by Mackler at No. 3 singles.
- The lone match to challenge the Big Red came at No. 1 singles as Bulger dropped his first set in a tiebreaker before coming back to win in a third-set super tiebreaker 6-7 (4-7), 6-1, 1-0 (10-3).
- Andreas Chapides won 6-0, 6-2 at No. 5 singles while Nickawn Namdar finished off the sweep with a 6-1, 6-1 win in the six hole.
Match #2 – No. 12 Denison 4, Northwestern Ohio 3:
Doubles
- Denison won the doubles point as Bulger and Harms (No. 1 doubles) and Mackler and Portnoy (No. 3 doubles) both pulled out 7-5 wins.
- Ethan Green and Camden French, meanwhile, fell 6-4 at No. 2 doubles.
Singles
- Green gave Denison a 2-0 lead with his dominate 6-0, 6-2 win at No. 2 doubles.
- Chapides earned a 7-5, 7-5 win at No. 4 singles before the clinching point came from Jacob Patterson, who battled back from a first-set defeat to win 1-6, 6-1, 6-1.
- Kael Shah fell 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) at No. 1 to get the Racers on the scoreboard, and then French came up just short in a third-set super tiebreaker, 5-7, 6-2, 1-0 (10-8), at No. 5 singles before Payiavlas dropped a 6-4, 6-4 decision in the six spot.
Next Up: The Big Red will begin their Spring Break trip to the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona, Florida, with a pair of matches against North Central College (11 a.m.) and No. 36 Occidental College (6:30 p.m.) on Monday, March 13. In all, Denison will have to face the challenge of battling seven teams in three days in Florida.
