Bulldogs open spring season with six matches in Oklahoma
Posted: Jan 11, 2018

Bulldogs open spring season with six matches in Oklahoma

Team Stats
Doubles
Billy Griffith / J.T. Nishimura (CAL)
def. KUHAR, Matt / LORENZ, Luke (BRYM)
7-5
Ben Draper / Jack Molloy (CAL)
def. ORTIZ-GARCIA, J E / ORTIZ-GARCIA, J I (BRYM)
6-1
Paul Barretto / Dominic Barretto (CAL)
def. BELMATCH, Philip / PERTILE, Grant (BRYM)
6-2
Singles
KUHAR, Matt (BRYM)
def. Billy Griffith (CAL)
7-5, 6-4
J.T. Nishimura (CAL)
def. LORENZ, Luke (BRYM)
6-0, 7-6
Jack Molloy (CAL)
def. DONG, Wilson (BRYM)
6-0, 7-6
Paul Barretto (CAL)
def. ORTIZ-GARCIA, J I (BRYM)
6-0, 6-2
Ben Draper (CAL)
def. PLUTT, Scott (BRYM)
6-4, 6-2
Dominic Barretto (CAL)
def. BELMATCH, Philip (BRYM)
6-4, 6-2

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University men's tennis team begins its championship season this weekend with six matches over three days in the state of Oklahoma.

The Bulldogs begin the weekend with matches against Tulsa and California on Friday. Bryant then faces Oklahoma and Creighton on Saturday before finishing the weekend against Oklahoma State and Lamar.

The Particulars

Friday, Jan. 12 (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

Bryant vs. Tulsa (Live Stream)

Bryant vs. California

Saturday, Jan. 13 (Norman, Oklahoma)

Bryant vs. Oklahoma

Bryant vs. Creighton

Sunday, Jan. 14 (Stillwater, Oklahoma)

Bryant vs. Oklahoma State

Bryant vs. Lamar

Coach Gendron's Thoughts

"Trips like this Oklahoma one are all about learning humility and trying to emulate the best teams in the country. It is a huge learning experience for players and coaches alike."

About the Competition

  • Tulsa features two players that are ranked inside the ITA Top-100 and is coming off a season in which it went 10-17. Majed Kilani is ranked No. 56 and Joshua Goodger is ranked No. 82 in the most recent rankings.
  • California won 20 matches in 2016-17, advancing to the Round of 16 before falling to North Carolina. Individually, the Bears had two players reach the Round of 16 last spring.
  • The Bulldogs are familiar with Oklahoma, a team they met last spring in the NCAA Tournament. Bryant won two sets against the 14th-ranked Sooners but eventually fell, 4-0. Oklahoma also advanced to the Round of 16 last spring, falling to Ohio State, 4-3.
  • Creighton won 10 matches before falling in the Big East Tournament last spring. The Bluejays had three players compete in the round of 64 at the ITA Central Regional in November.
  • Oklahoma State, Bryant's opponent in the 2016 NCAA Tournament, enters 2018 as the No. 15 ranked team in the country. The Cowboys are picked to finish fourth in the Big 12 after advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last spring.
  • Lamar, the two-time defending Southland Conference champion, is coming off a 17-win season that saw it appear in the NCAA Tournament against Baylor.

About the Bulldogs

  • The Bulldogs competed in seven events during the fall semester and are the four-time defending Northeast Conference Tournament champions.
  • Bryant won three monthly awards in the fall, as well. Jorge Ortiz-Garcia (Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico) was named the NEC Player of the Month for September, while Trent Massam (Wellington, New Zealand) and Philip Belmatch (Staten Island, N.Y.) each earned NEC Rookie of the Month citations.
  • Individually, Matt Kuhar (Smithfield, R.I.) posted a 6-2 record in the fall, while Massam went 7-3. Luke Lorenz (Colorado Springs, Colo.) was the most active, posting a 7-7 record.
  • Ortiz-Garcia and younger brother Jorge Isaias Ortiz-Garcia (Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico) were the most successful doubles team in the fall, going 7-4.