ELON, N.C. – The Elon men’s tennis team picked up its third consecutive victory and remained undefeated in the Southern Conference with a 5-1 win against the Samford Bulldogs at The Jimmy Powell Tennis Center on Saturday afternoon. Elon junior Philip Nemec earned the match-clinching victory at the top singles spot for the second straight match. Elon improved to 3-8 overall, 2-0 in conference action. The Bulldogs dropped to 8-3 on the season and are still looking for their first SoCon win with a 0-2 mark.

Elon and Samford split doubles matches at number one and three so the team point came down to the number two match. Nemec and sophomore Cody Stauffer-MacDowell pulled out the 8-5 win over Ryan Shidler and Joe Hunsicker to give the Phoenix the early lead. Elon juniors Chase Helpingstine and Alberto Rojas extended their winning streak to three straight, cruising to an 8-0 defeat of Carl Abalos and Oliver Reynolds at the top doubles spot.

In singles action, Elon got up a set in three of the six matches. At number six, Thomas Darling pushed Elon ahead with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Adam Witcher. Helpingstine continued his impressive play this season, taking a 6-3, 6-2 victory against Scott Foster to give the Phoenix a 3-0 advantage. Helpingstine has won four straight matches and owns a 7-4 dual mark on the year.

After taking the first set 6-3, Nemec won a hotly contested second set, 7-6 (5), over Zac Dunkle to clinch the match for the Phoenix. Nemec has won three straight at the top singles position.

The final three singles matches went to a third set with Elon players evening the score after Samford had won the first set in each bout. Alberto Rojas was forced to retire late in the third set at number four, giving Samford’s Carson Kadi a 6-3, 2-6, 5-4 ret., victory. At number five, Stauffer-MacDowell outlasted Abalos, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5. 

Rain did not allow a winner to be determined in the tightest match of the afternoon as Eric Turner and Oliver Reynolds were unable to play out the final points of the number three singles match. The third set was tied 6-6 with Turner serving at 5-6 in the breaker before Mother Nature halted the match.

Elon will host Chattanooga on Sunday afternoon before beginning a four-match road trip. The match is slated to begin at 1 p.m.