Panthers Open Season Sweeping Both Hurricanes and Wildcats in NCAA II Men’s Tennis Action
AMERICUS, Ga. (men’s tennis) — #8 NCAA II Southeast Regionally ranked Florida Tech opened up their 2007 campaign on a high note shutting down Georgia
Southwestern State University and #10 NCAA II South Regional ranked Fort Valley State University. The Panthers opened up with host GSW Hurricanes earning
their first win of the year 6-3 taking five singles and two doubles matches for the morning meeting.
I” I am very happy with our tennis today and everyone’s focus was excellent. We had a three hour rain delay before our first match and the
temperatures were in the 30’s with the wind chill by the time we hit our singles play with Fort Valley, ” stated Head Coach Bill Macom.
Tech came back in the afternoon to face the FVSU Wildcats in match two of the doubleheader on neutral ground. The Panthers ripped through all six singles
and picked up two doubles victories for the 8-2 win against fellow regionally ranked opponent.
In singles action for the day, senior Clifford Giel (Savaneta, Aruba), senior #13 raked Keith Kessler (Brooklyn, N.Y.), freshman Jonathan Hanna (Nassau,
Bahamas) and sophomore Jeremy Casperson (Jacksonville, Fla.) swept their opponents for the day winning all of their singles events.
Casperson held two opponents to no points in at least one set on the day defeating Hurricane’s Andrew McElveen (Cochran, Ga.) 6-2, 6-0 and the Wildcats’
Carlos Vinas (Miami, Fla.)
6-0, 6-1.
In doubles action, Giel and Kessler (ranked 15th in the nation & 4th in the southeast region) shut down tandem Amyn Soldier (Duluth, Ga.) and Jared
King (Waycross, Ga.) 8-0 and came back to put away Chase Turner (Greenville, S.C.) and Tommy Williams 8-2 for the late match. Hanna and senior Christian
Smith (Arauca, Trinidad) defeated Kip Wright (Gainesville, Ga.) and McElveen 8-2 in the early match. Smith retired for the day after a turned ankle
prevented him to play in singles action.
Partners Casperson and senior Adam Outlaw (Mobile, Ala.) picked up Tech’s last doubles win overtaking Vinas and Geoffrey Turner (Crawfordville, Ga.) 8-3.
The Panthers start off the season with a 2-0 record and will be back in action tomorrow for their final road game facing the West Florida Argonauts in
Pensacola, Fla. at 3:00 p.m.
MATCH ONE
#8 Florida Tech 7 Georgia Southwestern 2
SINGLES
1. Cliff Giel (FT) def. Amyn Soldier (GSW) 6-3, 6-2
2. Keith Kessler (FT) def. Kip Wright (GSW) 6-4, 6-1
3. Jonathan Hanna (FT) def. Jared King (GSW) 6-4, 6-1
4. Allen Hinkle (GSW) def. Christian Kieber (FT) 4-6, 6-4 (10-7)
5. Jeremy Casperson (FT) def. Andrew McElveen (GSW) 6-2, 6-0
6. Wes Adam (GSW) def. Joel Zahlan (FT) 6-4, 3-6 (11-9)
DOUBLES
1. Giel/Kessler (FT) def. Soldier/King (GSW) 8-0
2. Hanna/ Christian Smith (FT) def. Wright/McElveen (GSW) 8-3
3. Adam/Hinkle (GSW) def. Kieber/Zahlan (FT) 9-7
Florida Tech 1-0, Georgia SouthWestern State University 0-1
MATCH TWO
#8 Florida Tech 8 #10 Fort Valley State 2
SINGLES
1. Cliff Giel (FT) def. Desmond Watson (FVSU) 6-0, 6-1
2. Keith Kessler (FT) def. Darrell Foote, Jr. (FVSU) 6-0, 6-1
3. Christian Kieber (FT) def. Tommy Williams (FVSU) 6-0, 6-1
4. Jonathan Hanna (FT) def. Chase Turner (FVSU) 6-1, 7-5
5. Jeremy Casperson (FT) def. Carlos Vinas (FVSU) 6-0, 6-1
6. Joel Zahlan (FT) def. Jeremy Ashley (FVSU) 6-2, 6-0
DOUBLES
1. Giel/Kessler (FT) def. C. Turner/Williams (FVSU) 8-2
2. Foote/Watson (FVSU) def. Zahlan/Kieber (FT) 8-3
3. Casperson/Adam Outlaw (FT) def. Vinas/Geoffrey Turner (FVSU) 8-3
Florida Tech 2-0, Fort Valley State University 0-1
