Kyle Rapp (Encinitas, Calif.) claimed the lone Redhawk point as the Seattle University men's tennis team ended their season with a 6-1 loss to Northern Arizona Sunday at the Seattle University Tennis Courts in Seattle, Wash.
Rapp came from behind to defeat Northern Arizona's Steven Say at number six singles. He dropped the first set 2-6 and fell behind 1-3 in the second, but came roaring back to win five of the next six games to take the set 6-4. Rapp then prevailed in a super tiebreak 10-8 for the Redhawks' first win of the day. With the win, Rapp ends the season with four consecutive individual victories.
Despite the dual score, the match was competitive throughout the day. Four singles matches went to a third set or super tiebreak, and one doubles match was decided with a tiebreak as well. At number two singles, Simon Meske (Tacoma, Wash.) played three sets in his final collegiate match. He dropped the first set 7-5, but fought back to even the contest with a 4-6 win in the second. He couldn't complete the comeback however, and fell 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 to the Lumberjacks' Shaun Waters.
Andrew Anderson (Tacoma, Wash.) also played three sets in his number four singles match. He squared off against Robert Martin of NAU, falling 7-5, 3-6, 6-2. At number five singles, Jason Bediones (Kent, Wash.) forced a super tiebreak as well. He came out on the wrong end of the tiebreak however, and lost 4-6, 6-1, 1-0(11-9) to Ben Lantz.
The dual started off with the doubles competition, which was as tightly-contested as the singles matches were. At number two doubles, Bediones and Kevin Lynch (Colorado Springs, Colo.) played an exciting match with NAU's Lantz and Patrick Schimmelbauer. The match included many long rallies and well-played points, and it took a tiebreak to decide who would win. The NAU duo prevailed in the tiebreak and won the match 9-8(8-6). The Lumberjacks clinched the singles point with a victory at number three singles where Waters and Say of NAU beat SU's Meske and Rapp 9-7.
The Redhawks end the year with a 4-14 record in dual matches and will graduate just two seniors in June, Meske and Mark Shkrebtan (Redmond, Wash.). Next year, the men's tennis team and 16 other Seattle University sports will join the Western Athletic Conference July 1st, 2012, and will compete as a full member of NCAA's Division I in the 2012-13 season.
Northern Arizona 6, Seattle University 1
Seattle University Tennis Courts-Seattle, Wash.
Doubles
1. Pezzutto/Martin (NAU) def. Shkrebtan/Malagutti (SEA) 8-4
2. Schimmelbauer/Lantz (NAU) def. Lynch/Bediones (SEA) 9-8(8-6)
3. Waters/Say (NAU) def. Meske/Rapp (SEA) 9-7
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
Singles
1. Robin Pezzutto (NAU) def. Mark Shkrebtan (SEA) 6-3, 6-3
2. Shaun Waters (NAU) def. Simon Meske (SEA) 7-5, 4-6, 6-3
3. Patrick Schimmelbauer (NAU) def. Kevin Lynch (SEA) 6-4, 6-3
4. Robert Martin (NAU) def. Andrew Anderson (SEA) 7-5, 3-6, 6-2
5. Ben Lantz (NAU) def. Jason Bediones (SEA) 4-6, 6-1, 1-0(11-9)
6. Kyle Rapp (SEA) def. Steven Say (NAU) 2-6, 6-4, 1-0(10-8)
Order of Finish: 3, 1, 4, 5, 2, 6