Seventh-ranked Westmont defeated its third top-10 opponent in a week’s time and recorded its sixth win in row with a 6-3 victory over No. 9 Concordia (8-13, 5-8) on Saturday in Irvine.
A week ago, Westmont defeated No. 6 Point Loma Nazarene 5-4, then was victorious over fourth-ranked Azusa Pacific the following Tuesday by the same score.
“Our team has been clicking ever since we lost the Point Loma match,” said head coach Mark Basham, referring to an early season loss during the first week of March. “Our team has been going in the right direction and has built a lot of momentum.”
The Warriors (11-5, 9-4 Golden State Athletic Conference) will seek to carry that momentum into the NAIA national championships, which begin on May 17 in Mobile, Ala.
Playing at number one singles, Carlos Lima defeated Andrey Potapkin 7-5, 6-4 while at number two, Bryan Cox defeated Kareem Berdai, 6-2, 6-2. Tim Görenson earned a point for the Warriors with a 6-3, 7-6 (0) win over Bruno Santarelli on the number three court. At number four, Tiago Hayashi defeated Ryan McNamara 7-5, 6-3 while at number six, Kent Stormans defeated Abhinauv 6-3, 6-4.
The only singles loss for the Warriors was at number five where Lukas Zielen fell to Jan Guler 6-1, 6-2.
At number one doubles, Lima and Cox defeated Potapkin and Berdai 8-2, but that was the Warriors’ only win in doubles. At number two Santarelli and Guler defeated Görenson and Zielen 8-2 and at number three McNamera and Patrick Szeremeta defeated Hayashi and Stormans by the same score.
Westmont will conclude Golden State Athletic Conference play by hosting Biola on Thursday, April 28.
Singles
1. LIMA, Carlos (WC) def. POTAPKIN, Andrey (CUI) 7-5, 6-4
2. COX, Bryan (WC) def. BERDAI, Kareem (CUI) 6-2, 6-2
3. GORANSON, Tim (WC) def. SANTARELLI, Bruno (CUI) 6-3, 7-6
4. HAYASHI, Tiago (WC) def. MCNAMARA, Ryan (CUI) 7-5, 6-3
5. GULER, Jan (CUI) def. ZIELEN, Lukas (WC) 6-1, 6-2
6. STORMANS, Kent (WC) def. VENUGOPAL, Abhinauv (CUI) 6-3, 6-4
Doubles
1. COX, Bryan/LIMA, Carlos (WC) def. POTAPKIN, Andrey/BERDAI, Kareem (CUI) 8-2
2. SANTARELLI, Bruno/GULER, Jan (CUI) def. ZIELEN, Lukas/GORANSON, Tim (WC) 8-2
3. MCNAMARA, Ryan/SZEREMETA, Patrick (CUI) def. HAYASHI, Tiago/STORMANS, Kent (WC) 8-2
