BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – No. 56 Damon Gooch, Oscar Podlewski, Philip Nemec, Chase Helpingstine and Alberto Rojas all posted singles wins and Gooch, Nemec, Helpingstine and Carlin Murray all emerged victorious from doubles action, pacing No. 75 Elon to a 6-1 Southern Conference men’s tennis win over Samford Friday afternoon at the Samford Tennis Center.
The No. 40 tandem of Gooch and Nemec staved off Brian Dushock and Kelwin and DeWet 8-5 at No. 1 while Helpingstine and Murray outlasted Oliver Reynolds and Carl Abalos 8-6 at No. 2 as the Phoenix (6-4 overall, 1-0 SoCon) seized the doubles point en route to claiming its fifth victory in six matches, including its third win in a row. Carson Kadi and Richard Walsh edged Rojas and Cody Stauffer MacDowell 8-6 at No. 3 doubles to pick up a victory for the Bulldogs (2-8 overall, 1-1 SoCon).
Gooch (over Dushock 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1), Podlewski (over DeWet 6-1, 6-3 at No. 2), Nemec (over Abalos 7-5, 6-0 at No. 4), Helpingstine (over Walsh 6-0, 5-7, 10-6 at No. 5) and Rojas (over Reynolds 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) at No. 6) all won singles tilts as did SoCon newcomer Samford’s Kadi (over Murray 4-6, 6-3, 10-5 at No. 3) in the first meeting between Elon and the Bulldogs.
The Phoenix improved to 25-3 in its last 28 regular season conference matches over the past four springs – 8-1 in 2006, 9-0 in 2007, 7-2 in 2008 and 1-0 in 2009. Elon will face its second SoCon opponent in as many days when it stops by Chattanooga at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Bulldogs host SoCon foe UNC Greensboro at 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Samford Tennis Center.
–ELON–
