Sept. 26, 2014
For the second consecutive weekend, the University of Notre Dame men’s tennis team has players splitting time at multiple events. Friday’s action saw four Irish players competing at the Crimson Tide Four-in-the-Fall in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, while three others were in Kalamazoo, Michigan at the Vredevelt Invitational.
Tuscaloosa, Alabama — Juniors Eric Schnurrenberger (Zug, Switzerland) and Nicolas Montoya (Scottsdale, Arizona) each won their singles matches on Friday to remain alive in the main draw and advance to quarterfinal action on Saturday at the 2014 Crimson Tide Four-in-the-Fall, hosted by the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
Both Schnurrenberger and Montoya recorded impressive straight-set singles victories. Schnurrenberger earned a 6-1, 6-0 win over Stuart Kenyon of Alabama in Flight 1 singles play, while Montoya defeated Austin Akers of Samford 6-1, 6-3 in the No. 3 singles flight.
Schnurrenberger finished with an overall 2-1 record on the day in the three overall matches he played. In doubles action, he teamed with freshman Drew Dawson (Irvine, California) in Flight 1 doubles for a 1-1 mark. The duo opened up play with an 8-4 win over Trey Carter and Liam Sullivan of Samford, but then dropped an 8-5 decision to Sean Donohue and Stuart Kenyon of Alabama. Next up for Schnurrenberger and Dawson are Tom Coluatti and Josh Yablon of Princeton.
Schnurrenberger also is slated to take on Yablon in his quarterfinal singles match on Saturday morning. Yablon disposed of Toshiki Matsuya of Illinois 6-2, 7-5 in his first-round match.
Montoya had an equally impressive win in his singles flight as he took care of Austin Akers of Samford, 6-1, 6-3, in his first-round match in Flight 3 singles. Montoya is scheduled to play Jamie Malik of Rice on Saturday morning in the quarterfinals. Malik earned a 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 win over Hayes Brewer of Alabama.
Like Schnurrenberger, Montoya ended the day with a 2-1 record in his three matches. He teamed with freshman Brendon Kempin (Sandy, Utah) to post a 1-1 ledger in Fight 3 doubles. After dropping a 8-3 decision to Akers and Fares Kilani of Samford, the tandem came back to finish off Iain Sneddon and Cedric Rutsaert of Tulane, 8-5. Next up for Montoya and Kempin is the Princeton doubles team of duo of Alex Day and Kial Kaiser.
Dawson finished with a 1-2 overall record on Friday. In addition to recording a 1-1 mark in doubles play, he lost a 6-1, 6-1 decision to Tuki Jacobs of South Alabama in Flight 2 singles. Dawson will meet Donovan McSeveney of Alabama-Birmingham on Saturday afternoon in his next singles match.
Kempin also joined Dawson in Flight 2 singles play and dropped a tough three-set decision to Nikko Madregallejo of Alabama, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Kempin is slated to play Brian Page of Illinois in his next match.
2014 Crimson Tide Four-in-the Fall — Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Singles 1
Eric Schnurrenberger (ND) def. Stuart Kenyon (Alabama) 6-2, 6-0
Singles 2
Tuki Jacobs (South Alabama) def. Drew Dawson (ND) 6-1, 6-1
Nikko Madregallejo (Alabama) def. Brendon Kempin (ND) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
Singles
Nicolas Montoya (ND) def. Austin Akers (Samford) 6-1, 6-3
Doubles 1
Drew Dawson/Eric Schnurrenberger (ND) def. Trey Carter/Liam Sullivan (Samford) 8-4
Sean Donohue/Stuart Kenyon (Alabama) def. Dawson/Schnurrenberger (ND) 8-5
Doubles 3
Austin Akers/Fares Kilani (Samford) def. Brendon Kempin/Nicolas Montoya (ND) 8-3
Kempin/Montoya (ND) def. Iain Sneddon/Cedric Rutsaert (Tulane) 8-5
Kalamazoo, Michigan — Doubles action ruled the day at the 2014 Vredevelt Invitational hosted by Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. Notre Dame’s Flight A doubles team went 2-1 on the day to earn a third-place finish in that division.
The tournament will continue on Saturday and Sunday and will be comprised of only singles matches.
Notre Dame used a combination of three different players — seniors Dougie Barnard (Indianapolis, Indiana) and Michael Fredericka (Warren, Ohio) and sophomore Eddy Covalschi (Shelby Township, Michigan) in its division of doubles play.
Covaschi and Fredericka registered a win in their opener as they defeated Xavier’s Connor Lafavre and Jeremy Schneider. In the second match, Notre Dame had Dougie Barnard and Fredericka on the court and that duo dropped an 8-4 decision to Ali Shabib and Colton Buffington of Cleveland State.
Barnard and Covalschi teamed together for the third-place match with that combination coming away with an 8-6 victory over Andrew Cahn and Maik Steiner of Western Michigan.
2014 Vredevelt Invitational — Kalamazoo, Michigan
Fight A Doubles
Eddy Covalschi/Michael Fredericka (ND) def. Connor Lafavre/Jeremy Schneider (Xavier) 8-6
Ali Shabib/Colton Buffington (Cleveland State) def. Dougie Barnard/Michael Fredericka (ND) 8-4
Dougie Barnard/Eddy Covalschi/Michael Frederick (ND) def. Andrew Cahn/Maik Steiner (WMU) 8-6