Michigan State University
Wisc Green Bay
Spartan Netters Knock Off Ball State, UW-Green Bay
2/28/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Feb. 28, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. - No. 47 Michigan State's men's tennis team swept its fourth doubleheader of the season Saturday with a 5-2 win over No. 65 Ball State and a 6-1 triumph over UW-Green Bay. The two victories improved MSU's record to 11-2 (0-0 Big Ten), marking the fastest a Spartan team recorded 11 wins since the 1961 season when MSU also began 11-2.
"It was nice to get a big win against Ball State and put the Vanderbilt win in the past," said head coach Gene Orlando, who led BSU to four MAC titles as a player from 1984-87. "Ball State is a good program. They have beaten us many times before and it was one that we had to get. The individual victories today add to the belief and credibility of where this program is going."
Doubles play against the Cardinals (5-5 overall, 0-0 MAC) evolved into some of the most competitive contests MSU has played all year. Senior Eric Simonton (Annandale, N.J.) and junior Cameron Marshall (Louisville, Ky.) found themselves up a break at 6-5 at the No. 1 position against the No. 24-ranked duo in the nation in Matt Baccarani and Patrick Thompson, but saw it evaporate quickly, as BSU won the next three games for an 8-6 victory. The Cardinals then captured the doubles point at No. 3 as junior Anthony Stefani (Grosse Pointe Shores, Mich.) and sophomore Mike Brown (Portage, Mich.) fell to Klint Knable and Paul Newman, 8-6. Senior Chris Mitchell (Ann Arbor, Mich.) and junior Andrew Formanczyk (Rochester Hills, Mich.), however, avoided the sweep at No. 2, defeating Matt Laramore and Brad Rhodes, 9-8(3).
The intensity continued into singles where five of the six matches could have went to either team. Freshman Michael Flowers (Memphis, Tenn.) posted the afternoon's only quick point, cruising past Rhodes at No. 6, 6-4, 6-1. With the overall score at 1-1, Mitchell put the Spartans ahead at No. 3 when Michael Heule fired a backhand into the net on match point for the win, 6-3, 7-5.
"We dug deep and came together as a team and found a way to win," said Mitchell. "For me personally, it was a good day to get my confidence back. I've been struggling with my game and things finally fell into place and it couldn't have happened at a better time."
Marshall increased the MSU lead to 3-1 with a 6-3, 6-3 victory at No. 2 over Laramore. Nevertheless, Ball State kept things close at No. 5 where Newman defeated freshman Joseph McWilliams (Aurora, Ill.), 6-4, 7-5. But momentum remained with the Spartans. At No. 4, Simonton fell behind to Thompson 5-0 in the first set but managed to battle back and reach a tiebreaker. Though he ultimately lost the breaker 7-4, Simonton took the second, 6-1, broke serve with the score 4-4 in the third, and held at love for the match, 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-4, to clinch the overall Spartan victory.
Also posting a comeback victory was Formanczyk, who dropped his first set at No. 1, 6-1, to Baccarani. In the second, Formanczyk held three set points before Baccarani forced a tiebreaker in which the Cardinal sophomore had two match points, one on his serve at 7-6, only to see Formanczyk win the next three points, the final one with an ace, for the set, 7-6(7). Formanczyk went on to wrap up the match with a 6-4 third set victory and complete the overall win, 5-2.
UW-Green Bay (7-5 overall, 2-0 Horizon) and MSU ventured onto the courts an hour later and State opened up right where it left off, sweeping all three doubles matches for the first point. Mitchell, Simonton, Flowers, Brown and Stefani then posted singles victories for a 6-1 Michigan State win.
MSU returns to action Tuesday, March 2, when it travels to South Bend, Ind., to renew a rivalry with No. 43 Notre Dame that dates back to 1926. The match is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.
Saturday's Results Against Ball StateDoublesNo. 1 #24 Matt Baccarani/Patrick Thompson (BSU) def. Cameron Marshall/Eric Simonton (MSU) 8-6No. 2 Andrew Formanczyk/Chris Mitchell (MSU) def. Matt Laramore/Brad Rhodes (BSU) 9-8(3)No. 3 Klint Knable/Paul Newman (BSU) def. Mike Brown/Anthony Stefani (MSU) 8-6SinglesNo. 1 Andrew Formanczyk (MSU) def. Matt Baccarani (BSU) 1-6, 7-6(7), 6-4No. 2 Cameron Marshall (MSU) def. Matt Laramore (BSU) 6-3, 6-3No. 3 Chris Mitchell (MSU) def. Michael Heule (BSU) 6-3, 7-5No. 4 Eric Simonton (MSU) def. Patrick Thompson (BSU) 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-4No. 5 Paul Newman (BSU) def. Joseph McWilliams (MSU) 6-4, 7-5No. 6 Michael Flowers (MSU) def. Brad Rhodes (BSU) 6-4, 6-1No. 47 Michigan State defeats No. 65 Ball State, 5-2Records: MSU 10-2 overall, 0-0 Big Ten BSU 5-5 overall, 0-0 MACOrder of Finish: Doubles 1, 3, 2 Singles 6, 3, 2, 5, 4, 1Length of Match: 3:45
Saturday's Results Against UW-Green BayDoublesNo. 1 Cameron Marshall/Eric Simonton (MSU) def. Ben Davis/Mat Weiss (WGB) 8-4No. 2 Andrew Formanczyk/Chris Mitchell (MSU) def. Jarrett Cascino/Derek Gonwa (WGB) 8-3No. 3 Mike Brown/Anthony Stefani (MSU) def. Tyler Dorn/Eric Hines (WGB) 8-3SinglesNo. 1 Ben Davis (WGB) def. Cameron Marshall (MSU) 6-3, 6-2No. 2 Chris Mitchell (MSU) def. Jarrett Cascino (WGB) 6-3, 6-3No. 3 Eric Simonton (MSU) def. Tyler Dorn (WGB) 6-4, 6-2No. 4 Michael Flowers (MSU) def. Eric Hines (WGB) 6-2, 2-6, 1-0(10-4)No. 5 Mike Brown (MSU) def. Scott Dickert (WGB) 6-3, 6-1No. 6 Anthony Stefani (MSU) def. Mat Weiss (WGB) 6-0, 6-2No. 47 Michigan State defeats UW-Green Bay, 6-1Records: MSU 11-2 overall, 0-0 Big Ten UWGB 7-5 overall, 2-0 HorizonOrder of Finish: Doubles 3, 2, 1 Singles 5, 6, 2, 1, 3, 4Length of Match: 2:30
