LOS ANGELES – The 34th ranked Vanderbilt men’s tennis team capped its season falling 4-0 to the University of San Diego in round one of the NCAA tournament hosted by UCLA. The NCAA appearance was the Commodores’ 15th in program history.
VU fell in a close doubles competition, awarding the crucial point advantage to USD. Playing their first matches ever at No. 1 doubles, Tate Allwardt and Pen Binet fell 6-3 to the Torero’s Petronijevic/Vittek. San Diego locked down the point on court three in another 6-3 win over Baker Newman and Daniel Valent VU was close to securing a victory at No. 2 doubles, as seniors Rhys Johnson and Kris Yee led 5-3 at the clinch.
In singles, the Toreros took five of six first sets, leaving the Commodores in a hole. The ‘Dores lone first set victory came from Yee on court four, 6-3, in what would be Las Vegas native’s final collegiate tennis match.
Both Valent and Binet saved match point for the ‘Dores, forcing the third set on courts one and five, but USD’s doubles point and singles victories on courts two and five gave the 28th ranked team too great a lead. The Torero clinch came on court three to end the Commodores’ chances of advancement.
While the team’s season is over, three Commodores look forward to individual play as Valent, Johnson and Cameron Klinger will all travel to Tulsa, Okla. for the NCAA Singles and Doubles Tournament, which begins at the conclusion of the team championship (May 25-30).
Valent, currently ranked 34th in the nation, will be competing in his first NCAA individual national championship, while Johnson will be competing in his second-straight. Johnson and Klinger earned automatic All-American status as a doubles team and landed a top-eight seed in the tournament.
Live updates from the trio’s trip to Tulsa can be found on Twitter, @VandyMensTennis.
Results:
#28 San Diego 4, #34 Vanderbilt 0
May 13, 2016 at Los Angeles, CA (Sunset Canyon Tennis Courts)
- Petronijevic/Vittek (USD) def. Tate Allwardt/Pen Binet (VANDY) 6-3
- Angus/Joshua Page (USD) vs. Johnson/Yee (VANDY) 5-3, unfinished
- Araouzos/Kononov (USD) def. Newman/Valent (VANDY) 6-3
San Diego Wins Doubles Point
- #65 Uros Petronijevic (USD) vs. #36 Daniel Valent (VANDY) 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 0-1, unfinished
- #71 Jordan Angus (USD) def. Rhys Johnson (VANDY) 6-2, 6-3
- Filip Vittek (USD) def. Baker Newman (VANDY) 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-2)
- Jaan Kononov (USD) vs. Kris Yee (VANDY) 3-6, 6-4, 2-0, unfinished
- Romain Kalaydjian (USD) def. Alex Ross (VANDY) 6-3, 6-2
- Alexandros Araouzos (USD) vs. Pen Binet (VANDY) 6-2, 4-6, 5-3, unfinished
Match Notes
Vanderbilt 17-14; National ranking #34
San Diego 24-7; National ranking #28
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (2,5,3)
NCAA Regionals – First Round
