KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The front end of the lineup dominated while the back end pulled out a series of tight matches as the Ursinus College men's tennis team opened its spring trip with an 8-1 victory over Otterbein in Florida.
Senior Max Oberholtzer lost a total of two games in his two contests for the Bears (2-0), while sophomore Connor DeFaber-Schumacher and freshman Matt Fontanese each prevailed in a third-set singles tiebreaker after teaming up for a doubles win.
Oberholtzer and junior Paul Vecchio made short work of Jared Deel and Connor Radune, 8-1, at number one doubles, their 25th victory together. The win marked the 50th of Vecchio's career, making him the 14th player in school history to hit that milestone.
Freshman Mason Groff and Peter Shields matched that performance with an 8-1 rout of Tyler Wharton and Juan Vera at number two, and DeFaber-Schumacher and Fontanese topped Jamie Price and Riley Yost, 8-5, on the third court in their debut as a tandem.
Oberholtzer followed with a 6-0, 6-1 defeat of Radune on the top singles court. Groff rolled past Wharton by a 6-2, 6-2 count, and Vecchio was a 6-3, 6-1 victor opposite Price at number three.
Vera outlasted Shields, 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (12-10) at number four for the lone win for Otterbein (4-1).
DeFaber Schumacher tallied a 6-4, 1-6, 1-0 (10-7) win over Yost at number five, and Fontanese notched a 7-5, 3-6, 1-0 (10-6) triumph at sixth singles.
The Bears take on Division II Saint Anselm at 8 a.m. Tuesday.