LEXINGTON, Va. – The 28th-ranked Washington and Lee men's tennis team saw its 2023-24 season come to an end on Saturday in a 5-2 loss against No. 13 Sewanee in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Looking to avenge an 8-1 regular season loss to the Tigers (21-4), the Generals (17-8) held a 2-1 lead after doubles play, courtesy of wins at No. 3 from juniors
Eli Hirshberg and
James Kurani and a thrilling 8-7 (9-7) win from senior
Josh Rassin and first-year
Heys Parker at No. 2. The Tigers had claimed the first point of the match at No. 1, before Hirshberg and Kurani tied the score.
The Tigers roared back in singles, however, with respective wins at Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 2 to complete the comeback. Quinn Wicklund (3), Gil Weston (4) and Talman Ramsey (5) each won in straight sets, before Peyton Erck closed out the win with a back-and-forth, three-set win over junior
Will Kistler at No. 2. The final score for Erck at No. 2 read 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.
Junior
Evan Erb and Parker were the two Generals who went unfinished in singles play. Erb took the first set, 6-4, against fourth-ranked Jordan Theron at No. 1, before Theron evened the score with a 6-2 win in the second set. When the match-clinching point occurred, Erb led in the third set, 5-2. Parker played at the No. 6 spot and was tied up against Henry Hyden, as both players won one set by a 6-3 score.
UP NEXT:
This concludes team play for the Generals for the 2023-24 season. Erb was selected as the first alternate for this season's Division III Men's Tennis Singles Championship in St. Louis, and he would participate if any one of the 32 qualifiers were to drop out.
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
