Results | Match Program

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (April 5, 2014) – The Vassar College men's tennis team defeated Liberty League opponent and a team that has been receiving votes in the national rankings, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Saturday afternoon at the Josselyn Tennis Courts, 5-4.
 
RPI is currently ranked #11 in the Northeast Region by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) with a singles player and a doubles pair also receiving regional rankings. The ITA lists Vassar at #17, making Saturday's win, an upset over a team that recently defeated a Liberty League foe, #8 regionally and #26 nationally-ranked Skidmore College.
 
The Brewers (9-7, 4-1 Liberty League) didn't get off to the start they wanted, only winning one of the three doubles matches. The Engineers (9-3, 3-1 Liberty League) won at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles but little did they know, the path to earning their first League loss of the season was being laid down by sophomore Daniel Cooper (Piedmont, CA/Piedmont) and freshman Alexander Luckmann (Berkeley, CA/Head-Royce School) at No. 1.
 
The duo defeated the team of Jarrett Regier and Brandon Mazzara who are #15 in the region, 8-2. Cooper then went on get Vassar's fourth point when he defeated regionally-ranked Matt LaBarre 6-4, 6-2 at No. 1 singles.
 
"Big day from Daniel Cooper who stepped up to give us two needed victories in the top spot in singles and doubles," said head coach Alex Wong. "He set the tone for the team with his play today."
 
Cooper was set up by freshman Juan Felipe Laso's (Quito, Ecuador/Colegio American De Quito) No. 6 singles 6-0, 6-3 win over Anthony Kim that tied the match 2-2 and sophomore Christian Phelps' (Eau Claire, WI/Eau Claire Memorial) 6-3, 6-0 No. 3 win over Mazzara, giving the Brewers the 3-2 advantage. Regier tied the match 3-3 with a No. 2 win over freshman Nick Litsky (St. Petersburg, FL/Shorecrest Preparatory School), 6-1, 6-4.
 
"Great win for Vassar today! RPI came into the match undefeated in the conference and we knew it was going to be a battle. I give credit to all of the guys as they stepped up and battled in every position," said Coach Wong. "After winning just one out of the three doubles points, we knew that it was going to have to be a team effort to win the match. All six singles players came out and fought hard which set the tone for our comeback."
 
Not a single match today had to go to a third set. The closest was also the most important match of the day not just for the Brewers, but also for sophomore Evan Udine (Delray Beach, FL/Boca Raton Community). Udine defeated McKinley Grimes at No. 4 singles 7-5, 6-3 to clinch Vassar's win with one match remaining. It was his first collegiate match-clincher.
 
"I would just say it was a feeling I can't really describe," exclaimed Udine in a post match interview. "I saw we were probably going to take a 4-3 lead in the match and was ready to clinch it. I never clinched a before today and for this one to be my first is just incredible. Cooper told us last night to visualize winning today and that's just what I did."
 
The Brewers will next continue their home stand that rounds out their regular season. They will welcome in the Violets of New York University on Friday, April 11 at 3:30 pm on the Josselyn Tennis Courts.