No. 5 JMU Falls 4-1 to No. 4 College of Charleston in CAA Quarterfinals

Friday, April 17

Williamsburg, Va.

3 p.m.

James Madison University

College of Charleston

No. 5 JMU Falls 4-1 to No. 4 College of Charleston in CAA Quarterfinals

4/17/2015 9:44:00 PM | Men's Tennis

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Fifth-seeded James Madison men's tennis fell 4-1 to fourth-seeded College of Charleston in the Colonial Athletic Association Championship Tournament Quarterfinals on Friday at the Millie West Tennis Facility.

The Dukes close the season at 8-11 (2-3 CAA) while the Cougars improve to 14-9 (2-1 CAA) and advance to Saturday's semifinals, when they will face top-seeded UNCW at 2 p.m.

Charleston opened with an 8-4 win by Josh Record and Rodrigo Encinas over junior Maxi Branth and sophomore Alex Berdnikoff at No. 3 doubles. JMU quickly tied the race for the doubles point with an 8-6 win by junior Robert Stirling and sophomore Brett Moorhead over Charlie Ghriskey and Zack Lewis at No. 2.

At No. 1 doubles, sophomores Sebastian Salinas and Miljan Ruzic held off match point by Brice Allanic and Alon Faiman at 7-5, tying the match at 7-all to force a tiebreaker. After the pairs battled to a 3-3 tie, the Cougars pulled ahead for the 8-7(4) victory and the doubles point.

Stirling pulled the match even at 1-1 with an opening 6-4, 6-2 win over Allanic at No. 1 singles. Gordon, however, pushed the Cougars back in front with a 6-0, 6-4 victory over freshman Stephen Goldman at No. 6.

Ruzic took an early one-set lead over Lewis with a 6-2 win at No. 5 singles, but Lewis came back with straight 6-2 wins of his own for a three-set triumph that gave Charleston a 3-1 lead. Ghriskey clinched match point for CofC with a 7-6(1), 6-2 win over Moorhead at No. 3.

#4 College of Charleston 4, #5 James Madison 1
Singles
#1 Rob Stirling (JMU) d. Brice Allanic (CofC), 6-4, 6-2
#2 Rodrigo Encinas (CofC) vs. Sebastian Salinas (JMU) – DNF, 3-6, 6-6 (5-4)
#3 Charlie Ghriskey (CofC) d. Brett Moorhead (JMU), 7-6 (1), 6-2
#4 Vasily Kichigin (CofC) vs. Maxi Branth (JMU) – DNF, 2-6, 6-0, 5-3
#5 Zack Lewis (CofC) d. Miljan Ruzic (JMU), 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
#6 Garrett Gordon (CofC) d. Stephen Goldman (JMU), 6-0, 6-4
Order of Finish: 1, 6, 5, 3
Doubles
#1 Allanic/Alon Faiman (CofC) d. Salinas/Ruzic (JMU), 8-7 (4)
#2 Stirling/Moorhead (JMU) d. Ghriskey/Lewis (CofC), 8-6
#3 Josh Record/Encinas (CofC) d. Branth/Alex Berdnikoff (JMU), 8-4
Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1