U-M Drops 5-2 Match to Virginia for First Loss of Season

Saturday, January 30

Charlottesville, Va.

7:00 PM

Michigan

Virginia

U-M Drops 5-2 Match to Virginia for First Loss of Season

1/30/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis

By: David Ablauf

Site: Charlottesville, Va. (Boars Head Tennis Center)
Score: Virginia 5, Michigan 2
Records: U-M (3-1), Virginia (1-0)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 13 -- vs. Western Michigan (Varsity Tennis Center), 1 p.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The University of Michigan men's tennis team suffered its first loss of the season, a 5-2 setback to No. 32 Virginia on Saturday (Jan. 30) at Boars Head Tennis Center. The Wolverines are 3-1 on the year while Virginia opened its dual schedule with the win.

Virginia gained the advantage from the outset, winning two of the three doubles matches to take the doubles point and a 1-0 lead. The Wolverines' only victory in doubles came at the No. 3 spot as junior John Long (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS) and senior co-captain Jake Raiton (Portland, Ore./Wilson HS) beat Virginia's Robert Abendroth and Brian Hunter 8-4.

In singles, the Cavaliers captured the match with four victories (No. 1, 3, 4 and 5 spots). Michigan received its two points in the match from senior co-captain William Farah (Flint, Mich./Powers Catholic HS) and freshman Ben Cox (Spring Lake, Mich./Spring Lake HS). Farah defeated John Winter in three sets (6-4, 6-7, 6-1) at the No. 2 spot, while Cox posted a straight-sets victory over Brian Hunter (6-3, 6-4).

The men's tennis team will take one week off before resuming its dual match schedule. Michigan's next match is Saturday, Feb. 13, at 1 p.m. against Western Michigan at the Varsity Tennis Center.

Following are match-by-match results:

Singles
No. 1 -- #2 Brian Vahaly (UVA) d. Matt Wright, 7-6, 6-2
No. 2 -- William Farah (U-M) d. John Winter, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1
No. 3 -- Huntley Montgomery (UVA) d. John Long, 6-3, 6-2
No. 4 -- Hyon Yoo (UVA) d. Danny McCain, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0
No. 5 -- Tommy Croker (UVA) d. Henry Beam, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4
No. 6 -- Ben Cox (U-M) d. Brian Hunter, 6-3, 6-4

Doubles
No. 1 -- Vahaly/Montgomery (UVA) d. Wright/McCain, 8-2
No. 2 -- Croker/Winter (UVA) d. Farah/Brad McFarlane, 8-4
No. 3 -- Long/Jake Raiton (U-M) d. Robert Abendroth/Hunter, 8-4

QUOTES

Michigan Head Coach Brian Eisner
"This was certainly our toughest match of the season to date. Virginia is a very good team and they really played well tonight. Virginia has excellent talent and is, in my estimation, much better then 32nd in the country (national ranking by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association). We didn't have the staying power or fight today in the singles matches. Virginia really tested us in all six singles matches and we just couldn't maintain or sustain any type of advantage from start to finish in any of our matches. This match just showed us we need to improve, and I think the upcoming months will provide us that opportunity."