Bulldogs make fifth-straight NEC Championship appearance after defeating Knights, 4-2
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – With a four-peat in mind, top-seeded Bryant University men's tennis was tested early by Fairleigh Dickinson in the Northeast Conference Semifinals, but the Bulldogs fought hard to win, 4-2, and book their fifth-straight trip to the conference finals.
The fourth-seeded Knights (6-13, 1-3 NEC) won the doubles point before the Bulldogs (11-13, 4-0) came on strong, sweeping the top half of the singles draw.
Sophomore Matt Kuhar (Smithfield, R.I.) posted a 6-4, 6-4 win at No. 1, while Luke Lorenz (Colorado Springs, Colo.) walked away with a 6-2, 6-2 victory at the No. 2 flight. Sophomore Artur Jakubowski (Dallas, Texas) collected a 6-2, 6-2 win over Jacob Whalley in the No. 3 position. Clinching the match for the Bulldogs and sending Bryant to its fifth-straight NEC final was Jorge Ortiz-Garcia (Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico), a 6-4, 6-4 victor at the No. 6 spot.
The Bulldogs will have a rematch of last years' finals, facing No. 2 Saint Francis U., Sunday 12 p.m. The winners of the three-day tournament will go on to represent the NEC in the upcoming NCAA Championships.
