Sept. 17, 2017
By Joanne Norell
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The first weekend of fall competition has officially wrapped for the University of Notre Dame men’s tennis team, with underclassmen posting strong performances in tournaments in Napa Valley, California, and Cambridge, Massachusetts.
NAPA VALLEY CLASSIC
Freshman Tristan McCormick wrapped up a very impressive first collegiate weekend by reaching the semifinal round of the wild-card shootout at the Napa Valley Classic. After defeating USC’s Mateusz Smolicki 6-2, 6-2 to win his group, McCormick advanced to the shoot-out round for a chance at a USTA tournament entry. The Berwyn, Pennsylvania, product downed No. 49 Billy Griffith of California 10-5 in the quarterfinals before being edged by Texas A&M’s 93rd-ranked Valentin Vacherot 10-7 in the semifinal round.
Also winning Sunday was junior Alex Lebedev, who defeated Baylor’s Akos Kotorman 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 to move to 2-1 on the season.
CHOWDER FEST
Five Irish players picked up singles wins to wrap up play at Harvard’s Chowder Fest Sunday. Freshman William Howells earned his first collegiate win over a ranked opponent, defeating No. 115 Lamar Remy of Wisconsin in three sets in Flight 3. Sophomore Johnathan Small downed Harvard’s Lucas Koelle; senior Brendon Kempin defeated Wisconsin’s Robert Krill; junior Daniel Rayl ousted Buffalo’s Petr Vodak; and sophomore Conor Somers upended Harvard’s Samuel Beren.
Small went 3-0 in singles on the weekend, while Howells, Somers and freshman Richard Ciamarra were 2-1.
Napa Valley Classic
Meadowood Napa Valley Resort
Napa Valley, Calif.
Sept. 15-17
Sunday (Singles Group Play)
Group 2
J.T. Nishimura (CAL) def. Guillermo Cabrera (ND) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
Group 5
No. 104 Alex Lebedev (ND) def. Akos Kotorman (Bay) 6-0, 4-6, 6-1
Group 6
No. 93 Valentin Vacherot (TAMU) def. Matt Gamble (ND) 6-1, 6-3
Group 7
Tristan McCormick (ND) def. Mateusz Smolicki (USC) 6-2, 6-2
Wild-Card Shootout
Quarterfinals
Tristan McCormick (ND) def. No. 49 Billy Griffith (CAL) 10-5
Semifinals
No. 93 Valentin Vacherot (TAMU) def. Tristan McCormick (ND) 10-7
Saturday (Singles Group Play)
Saturday
Group 2
Jake van Emburgh (OU) def. Guillermo Cabrera (ND) 7-6(3), 6-3
Group 5
No. 104 Alex Lebedev (ND) def. Nefve (USTA) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
Group 6
Han (USTA) def. Matt Gamble (ND) 6-2, 7-5
Group 7
Tristan McCormick (ND) def. Gollin (USTA) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
Doubles
Matt Gamble / Alex Lebedev (ND) def. Alexander Bakshi / Jochen Bertsch (OU) 6-1
Matt Gamble / Alex Lebedev (ND) def. Bjorn Hoffman / Jack Molloy (Cal) 7-6(5)
Stefano Tsorotiotis / Jake van Emburgh (OU) def. Guillermo Cabrera / Tristan McCormick (ND) 7-6(5)
Friday (Singles Group Play)
Group 2
Guillermo Cabrera (ND) def. Lee (USTA) 5-7, 6-3, 6-4
Group 5
AJ Catanzariti (TAMU) def. Alex Lebedev (ND) 6-4, 6-7(8), 6-1
Group 6
Jake DeVine (USC) def. Matt Gamble (ND) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
Group 7
Tristan McCormick (ND) def. Stefano Tsorotiosis (OU) 7-6(4), 6-3
Doubles
Guillermo Cabrera / Tristan McCormick (ND) def. Bjorn Hoffman / Jack Molloy (CAL) 7-5
Dale / Martin (USTA) def. Guillermo Cabrera / Tristan McCormick (ND) 6-1
No. 39 Billy Griffith / J.T. Nishimura (CAL) def. Matt Gamble / Alex Lebedev (ND) 6-2
Chowder Fest
Murr Center Tennis Courts
Cambridge, Mass.
Sept. 15-17
Sunday
Singles
Flight 1
No. 93 Josef Dodridge (UW) def. Richard Ciamarra (ND) 2-6, 6-2, 6-4
Flight 2
Johnathan Small (ND) def. Lucas Koelle (HU) 6-2, 6-3
William Howells (ND) def. No. 115 Lamar Remy (UW) vs. 1-6, 6-4, 6-3
Flight 3
Daniel Soyfer (UW) def. Grayson Broadus (ND) 6-2, ret.
Flight 4
Brendon Kempin (ND) def. Robert Krill (UW) 6-4, 6-4
Flight 5
Daniel Rayl (ND) def. Petr Vodak (BU) 4-6, 7-5, 10-8
Flight 6
Villhelm Fridell (BU) def. Drew Dawson (ND) 6-3, 6-1
Conor Somers (ND) def. Samuel Beren (HU) 7-5, 6-3
Doubles
Flight 1
Chema Carranza / Martim Vilela (UW) def. William Howells / Richard Ciamarra (ND) 6-3
Flight 2
Christopher Morrow / Logan Weber (HU) def. No. 38 Brendon Kempin / Grayson Broadus (ND) 6-4
Flight 3
Grant Solomon / Samuel Beren (H) def. Johnathan Small / Drew Dawson (ND) 6-1
Darius Mackenzie / Alan Sweet (UW) def. Conor Somers / Daniel Rayl (ND) 6-1
Saturday
Singles
Flight 1
Hao Sheng Koay (BU) def. Brendon Kempin (ND) 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(2)
Flight 2
Johnathan Small (ND) def. Villhelm Friddell (BU) 4-6, 7-5, 6-0
Flight 3
William Howells (ND) def. Ethan Nittolo (BU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
Flight 4
Vidit Veghala (BU) def. Daniel Rayl (ND) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
Flight 5
Petr Vodak (BU) def. Conor Somers (ND) 6-3, 6-1
Flight 6
Drew Dawson (ND) def. Konstantinos Tsakiris (BU) 6-7, 6-3, 6-4
Doubles
Flight 1
Lamar Remy / Osgar O’Hoison (UW) def. William Howells / Grayson Broadus (ND) 8-3
Flight 3
William Howells / Brendon Kempin (ND) def. Ethan Nittolo / Hao Sheng Koay (BU) 6-4
Vidit Veghala / Petr Vodak (BU) def. Grayson Broadus / Johnathan Small (ND) 7-5
Friday
Singles
Flight 3
Richard Ciamarra (ND) def. Chema Carranza (UW), 6-2, 6-2
Flight 4
Osgar O’Hoisin (UW) def. Brendon Kempin (ND), 7-5, 4-6, 6-1
Flight 5
Chase Colton (UW) def. Grayson Broadus (ND) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (5)
Flight 6
Daniel Soyfer (UW) def. William Howells (ND) 6-3, 7-6 (5)
Robert Krill (UW) def. Daniel Rayl (ND) 6-4, 0-6, 6-4
Johnathan Small (ND) def. Martim Vilela (UW), 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
Connor Somers (ND) def. Darius Mackenzie (UW), 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-0
Alan Sweet (UW) def. Drew Dawson (ND), 6-2, 6-7, 6-2
Doubles
Flight 2
Lamar Remy / Osgar O’Hoison (UW) def. No. 38 Grayson Broadus / Brendon Kempin (ND), 8-5
Flight 3
William Howells / Richard Ciamarra (ND) def. Chase Colton / Martim Vilela (UW), 8-4
Flight 4
Daniel Soyfer / Robert Krill (UW) def. Daniel Rayl / Drew Dawson (ND), 8-2
Alan Sweet / Darius Mackenzie (UW) def. Johnathan Small / Conor Somers (ND) 8-7
Ball / Samuel Beren (HU) def. Brendon Kempin / Johnathan Small (ND) 8-5
–ND–
Joanne Norell, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since 2014 and coordinates communications efforts for the Notre Dame men’s tennis, women’s tennis and fencing programs, in addition to overseeing production of the football Gameday Magazine. Norell is a 2011 graduate of Purdue University and earned her master’s degree from Georgetown University in 2013.