BUCKHANNON – The Buckhannon-Upshur boys’ tennis team is off to a solid start to their 2022 campaign after an impressive 5-2 victory over regional foe University on Thursday at the West Virginia Wesleyan courts.
They followed that up with a 6-1 road victory over the Lincoln Cougars Friday.
“Overall I was pleased with how we played,” stated Buckhannon-Upshur head coach Jason Rock. “UHS is a tough regional opponent and it was our opening match. You could tell some of our players had some first match nerves but the boys took care of business, but we expected that.”
The Bucs took just one of three doubles matches as Aden Pitts and Caden Andrick won at No. 1 by an 8-2 score.
B-U swept singles action against the Hawks as Pitts (No. 1), Andrick (No. 2) Mauricio Menendez (No. 3) and Hank Phillips (No. 4) were all victorious.
“I think a combination of nerves and lack of confidence were the only reasons for a little bit of doubles struggles on the boys side,” noted Rock. “The more we play and the more the boys compete together in doubles, I think they will gain confidence and those nerves will fade away.”
Against Lincoln, the Bucs won two doubles matches as Pitts and Andrick at No. 1 and Menedez and Phillips at No. 2 came out on top.
The Bucs against swept singles action as Pitts (No. 1), Andrick (No. 2), Menendez (No. 3) and Phillips (No. 4) all claimed victories.
“This was our first away match of the year,” noted Rock. “A lot of players are still getting “dialed in” with their shots and with matches. I also want to brag about Hank Phillips. He is playing the four seed this year in singles and is doing great. As a very good four seed, he has to create his own shots and put his own pace on the ball because most of his opponents don’t do much other than push it back. He has been playing his game and doing really well.”
The Bucs’ tri-outing with Brooke and John Marshall on Saturday was postponed.
They were slated to play Wheeling Park on Monday and will be back in action Wednesday at Bridgeport.
The results:
Buckhannon-Upshur 5 University 2
Singles
No. 1 – Aden Pitts (B-U) def. Andrew McClellan (8-0).
No. 2 – Caden Andrick (B-U) def. Salah Abunnaja (8-2).
No. 3 – Mauricio Menendez (B-U) def. Andrew Lerfaid (8-4).
No. 4 – Hank Phillips (B-U) def. Julian Stealy (8-1)
Doubles
No. 1 – Pitts and Andrick (B-U) def. McClellan and Lerfaid (8-2).
No. 2 – Abunnaja and Stealy (U) def. Menendez and Phillips (8-4).
No. 3 – Wesley Davis and Andrew Rosanna (U) def. Bailey Cleavenger and Donovan Cutlip (8-4)
Buckhannon-Upshur 6 Lincoln 1
Singles
No. 1 – Aden Pitts (B-U) def. Daniel Dodd (8-2).
No. 2 – Caden Andrick (B-U) def. Santino Loretta (8-2).
No. 3 – Mauricio Menendez (B-U) def. Braden Hamrick (8-3).
No. 4 – Hank Phillip (B-U) def. Aaron Ramsey (8-2).
Doubles
No. 1 – Pitts and Andrick (B-U) def. Dodd and Loreta (8-1).
No. 2 – Menendez and Phillips (B-U) def. Ramsey and Jacob Thomas (8-0).
No. 3 – Hamrick and Damion Shaw (Lin.) def. Bailey Cleavenger and Donovan Cutlip (8-3).
