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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt men’s tennis seniors Andy Mack and Jordan Magarik provided the clinching victories to give the Commodores a 6-1 win over Kentucky for the 2007 regular season finale.
The Wildcats and Commodores had been neck-and-neck in conference play all season, tying each other at fourth in the SEC East prior to Saturday’s contest. The Vanderbilt victory will help the Commodores in the SEC tournament seeding, set to be released Sunday, as well as greatly improve the chances of an invitation to the NCAA tournament.
Vanderbilt sophomore Nik Cromydas clinched the doubles point in Saturday’s match with a slam that whisked between both Kentucky opponents, winning the pro set 8-6 with partner Evan Dufaux.
VU freshman Vijay Paul followed with a 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 4 singles, putting the Commodores up 2-0.
Senior Andy Mack then battled with Kentucky’s Kenny Hodge through three sets, but had the final edge with a 6-1 win in the final set.
“I wasn’t playing or swinging aggressively in the first set,” Mack said. “I realized I wasn’t going to win if I didn’t go after it and play more aggressively.”
Mack’s win put the Commodores up 3-0, just one match away from the win. On the other side of the courts, fellow senior Jordan Magarik took care of the victory with a second set tiebreaker win at No. 6.
Magarik was leading 5-4, but Kentucky’s Shane Collins rallied to tie the match at 6-6.
“I had the lead but I got a little tight,” Magarik said. “Before the tiebreaker started Coach took me aside and told me `it’s just a tennis match.’ That really helped me play more effectively. I was able to really concentrate on making shots and winning points. When you can play in that kind of state of mind there are no regrets whether you win or you lose.”
With the match clinched, the Wildcats retired on courts 2 and 3, putting the Commodores up 5-0. VU’s lineup leader Ryan Preston finished the match with a third set loss, setting the final match score at 6-1.
“Yeah, it was Senior Day, but everyone on the team did their part and took responsibility,” Mack said. “It’s how we’ve been playing all year.”
Though senior Nathan Sachs didn’t participate in Saturday’s contest, he has been a vital part of the Commodore squad, playing in all of the 2006 dual matches, and nearly all in 2007.
“The team really played like a team today,” Sachs said. “Anytime you get to be a part of that it’s a great feeling.”
The Commodores finished the regular season with a 10-11 overall record and 4-7 conference mark. Next up for the squad will be the SEC tournament, set to begin on Thursday, April 19 in Baton Rouge, La.
RESULTS
#41 Vanderbilt 6, #54 Kentucky 1
Doubles
1. Agostinelli/Hodge (UK) d. Paul/Preston (VU) 8-6
2. Cromydas/Dufaux (VU) d. Sundh/Bjork (UK) 8-6
3. Mack/Magarik (VU) d. Collins/Ward (UK) 8-6
Singles
1. #90 Bruno Agostinelli (UK) d. #46 Ryan Preston (VU) 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
2. Nik Cromydas (VU) d. Peter Bjork(UK) 3-6, 7-5, ret.
3. Evan Dufaux (VU) d. Marcus Sundh (UK) 7-6, 1-6, 2-1, ret.
4. Vijay Paul (VU) d. Jorge Jorge (UK) 6-1, 6-0
5. Andy Mack (VU) d. Kenny Hodge (UK) 2-6, 6-3, 6-1
6. Jordan Magarik (VU) d. Shane Collins (UK) 6-4, 6-5
