INDIANAPOLIS - The Northern Kentucky University men’s tennis team captured its second straight Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships title on Saturday by defeating the University of Southern Indiana, 5-4, in the finals.
Billy Hopkins won at both No. 5 singles and No. 1 doubles for NKU, which improved to 16-4 overall. Marek Pawelec outlasted Nim Shetty in three sets at No. 3 singles competition, 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (7-5 in the tie-breaker), to clinch the Norse’s second straight GLVC crown.
Southern Indiana jumped out to a 2-1 lead by taking two of three in doubles competition, but NKU responded by winning four of the six singles matches. In addition to Hopkins and Pawelec, Nick Herzog and Ted Walkup also posted victories at singles to key the Norse triumph.
It marked the second straight year that NKU defeated Southern Indiana in the championship match.
NKU has won 24 consecutive matches against GLVC opponents. The Norse have not lost to a GLVC opponent since April 19, 2002, when the University of Missouri-St. Louis posted a 5-3 win over NKU at the GLVC Championships.
NKU, ranked 37th nationally in the NCAA Division II poll, also clinched a berth in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. The Norse will compete in the NCAA Tournament May 7-9 at a site to be determined.
A year ago, NKU advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament and defeated Southern Indiana in the opening round before losing to Northwood (Mich.) University at Midland, Mich.
2004 Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships
(at Indianapolis, Ind.)
Championship Match
#1 Northern Kentucky 5, #2 Southern Indiana 4
Singles
1. Joe Epkey (USI) def. Amine Benjelloun, 6-1, 6-4.
2. Weston Phillips (USI) def. Oliver Marinkovic, 7-6, 6-3.
3. Marek Pawelec (NKU) def. Nim Shetty, 6-2, 1-6, 7-6.
4. Nick Herzog (NKU) def. Ryan Hughes, 7-6, 6-4.
5. Billy Hopkins (NKU) def. Evan Luttrell, 6-2, 6-1.
6. Ted Walkup (NKU) def. Kyle Taylor, 6-1, 7-5.
Doubles
1. Benjelloun/ Hopkins (NKU) def. Hughes/Shetty, 8-4.
2. Epkey-Taylor (USI) def. Herzog/Marinkovic, 8-1.
3. Luttrell-Phillips (USI) def. Pawelec/Walkup, 8-2.
|
Billy Hopkins |