Big Green Drop NCAA First-Round Match to Green Wave

Saturday, May 14

Tulsa, Okla.

9:00 AM

Dartmouth College

Tulane

Big Green Drop NCAA First-Round Match to Green Wave

5/14/2016 12:25:00 PM | Men's Tennis

By: Dartmouth

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – No. 41 Dartmouth men's tennis fell to No. 31 Tulane, 4-0, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center Saturday morning.

The Big Green wrapped up the 2016 season with an 18-9 mark, while the Green Wave improved to 16-8 and will play in the second round of the tournament on Sunday afternoon. This was Dartmouth's first tournament appearance since 1997.

"Congratulations to Tulane," head coach Chris Drake said. "They were the better team today. They played solid doubles and were as tough as we expected in singles. That being said, I was really proud of our guys and the way they competed after we lost five first sets. We hung in there and extended four matches to third sets and made things really tough on Tulane in the end.

"I think our team has been really resilient all year and today was no different," Drake continued. "Making NCAAs was an accomplishment in and of itself, but the guys came hungry to compete. We just lost to a very good team."

Tulane took the doubles point with 6-3 wins at the No. 1 and 3 positions, leaving play at No. 2 unfinished. Junior Max Schmidt and freshman Roko Glasnovic were barely trailing Constantin Schmitz and Tyler Schick, 5-4, when the match was ended early.

The Green Wave won the first three singles matches to claim the victory, winning at No. 3, 6 and 2. Four of the six matches went to three sets. At the No. 1 position, 91st-ranked senior Dovydas Sakinis – playing in the last match of his collegiate career – won his first set against No. 3 Dominik Koepfer and was leading, 5-4, in the third when the match was suspended. Sophomore Max Fliegner was ahead of Chi-Shan Jao, 5-4, in the third set at No. 4, while Schmidt and Ian Van Cott were at one-all, also in the third, at the No. 5 position.

"I want to thank Harry [Sheehy] and Megan [Sobel] for coming down to support us," Drake concluded. "We've had such great support all year long in so many ways: Dartmouth, our administration, alums and friends. It makes it really special to represent Dartmouth when you have that kind of support. And thank you to UNC for hosting a first-rate event. It was a great experience for us and we appreciate their hospitality. We look forward to working hard to get back here next year."

1 – No. 18 Koepfer/Jao (Tulane) def. No. 67 Tannenbaum/Wall (Dartmouth), 6-3
2 – Schmidt/Schick (Tulane) vs. Schmidt/Glasnovic (Dartmouth), 5-4, DNF
3 – Rey/ I. Van Cott (Tulane) def. Sakinis/Fliegner (Dartmouth), 6-3

1 – No. 3 Koepfer (Tulane) vs. No. 91 Sakinis (Dartmouth), 4-6, 6-1, 4-5, DNF
2 – No. 99 Schmitz (Tulane) def. Riccardi (Dartmouth), 6-0, 5-7, 6-2
3 – Rey (Tulane) def. Wall (Dartmouth), 6-2, 6-3
4 – Jao (Tulane) vs. Fliegner (Dartmouth), 6-2, 4-6, 4-5, DNF
5 – I. Van Cott (Tulane) vs. Schmidt (Dartmouth), 6-3, 4-6, 1-1, DNF
6 – Schick (Tulane) def. Grabill (Dartmouth), 7-5, 6-3