After just over a month of playing matches on the road, UCR men’s tennis (8-7) finally returned home to host a doubleheader against Villanova and Hope International on Friday, March 8.
The first match saw Villanova strike first by grabbing the doubles point with triumphs on courts one and three. The tandem of senior Kyle McCann and freshman Andreas Whelan-Merediz earned a 6-2 victory on court two.
The Highlanders responded to trailing 1-0 by earning straight set victories in singles on courts one, five and three. McCann won 6-3, 6-1 while Whelan-Merediz provided a 6-2, 6-3 victory of his own.
Junior Gilbert Chung rallied for a 6-4, 6-4 win on court number three, but the visitors took court four to cut the lead to 3-2.
And just like he’s done earlier this season, junior Nabil Abdallah closed out the match by going the distance with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 win. Abdallah’s victory gave the team a 4-3 win.
Contrasting their Villanova match, UCR snagged the doubles point with wins from McCann and Whelan-Merediz, and senior Anderson Ju and junior Max Cohen.
Riverside added to their 1-0 lead by taking the first four singles matches to notch the team’s fourth straight victory.
Chung double-bageled his opponent on court three 6-0, 6-0, as Ju won on court six topping his opponent 6-3, 6-1. Whelan-Merediz also won 6-3, 6-1; with Abdallah putting up a 6-2, 6-1 scorecard. HIU would take court as the Highlanders won 5-2.
UCR continues their homestand as they host Navy Tuesday, March 12 at 9 a.m.
