April
25
Golden
Rams men’s tennis boasts best win total since 1992
WCU
finishes third at PSAC’s
Ellis & Considine produce 16-0 1st singles mark
WEST
CHESTER, PA - The
West Chester University men’s tennis team won three of its final
four matches, including a quarterfinals victory over East Stroudsburg
University in the PSAC Championship, to post its highest win total in
nearly a decade.
The
Golden Rams turned in a 10-7 mark in 2000-01, matching the team’s
10-win season of 1992. The double-digit victory total for head coach
Greg Stipa and his Golden Rams marked just the third time since 1985
that WCU had reached the 10-win plateau. WCU recorded 13 wins in 1985.
Maybe
the biggest reason the Golden Rams were so formidable this year was
the opening singles lineup of junior John Ellis (Wilmington, DE/Salesianum)
and sophomore John Considine (Stratford, NJ/Sterling).
Ellis was a perfect 12-0 at first singles, playing against the
opposition’s toughest competitor, while Considine was 4-0 at first
singles when his number was called to spell Ellis. He was 9-7 overall,
gaining four victories at second singles and one at fifth.
The
Golden Rams lineup generally featured Ellis at first singles, followed
by Considine at second, sophomore Dan Renn
(Philadelphia/Central) playing third and freshman Brett
Dolimpio (Carlisle/Trinity) hosting fourth. Fifth and sixth
singles were contested by freshmen Keith McCaffrey (York/Central
York) and Brian Stricker (Warminster/William Tennent),
respectively.
But
when the Golden Rams rested Ellis and bumped everyone up a level,
conventional wisdom would seem to indicate the WCU players would
struggle against stiffer competition. That correlation never
materialized. In fact, the Golden Rams were an astonishing 25-0.
A
prime example was Dolimpio who played well but just couldn’t seem to
buy a win at fourth singles. When he moved up to third singles for
four matches this season, he was dominating (4-0). Considine (4-0 at
first), Renn (4-0 at second), McCaffrey (5-0) and Stricker (3-0 at
fifth) all remained perfect at the next level.
Senior
reserve player Dan Phipps (Glenmoore/O.J. Roberts) even
jumped into the act, posting 1-0 fifth singles and 4-0 sixth singles
marks when called upon to play.
The
Golden Rams closed out the year with a sweep of Eastern and Cabrini on
April 23 & 24. On Tuesday in the season finale, the Golden Rams
blew through Cabrini 8-1 at WCU’s South Campus Tennis Complex.
Considine
and McCaffrey opened up the event with an 8-4 first doubles win, while
Dilimpio and Stricker captured third doubles 8-2. All four players
then won their respective singles matches in two sets.
Considine
took the first singles match 6-2, 6-2, while Dilimpio won third
singles (6-1, 6-3) and Stricker grabbed fifth (6-1, 6-0). McCaffrey
(6-2, 6-0 - 4th), Renn (6-1, 6-3 - 2nd) and Phipps (6-1, 6-2 - 6th)
were easy winners as well.
On
Monday, the Golden Rams blanked Eastern 9-0 behind the same lineup.
Considine and McCaffrey again began the match with an 8-1 first
doubles win, while Dilimpio and Stricker took third doubles 8-3.
Renn
and Phipps were triumphant at second doubles 8-5, then Phipps
blistered his sixth singles opponent 6-0, 6-0. Renn collected second
singles 6-3, 6-2.
Stricker
(6-2, 6-0 - 5th) and Dilimpio (6-1, 6-0 - 3rd) made short work of
their foes, while Considine captured the first singles match 6-3, 6-4.
McCaffrey closed out the match with a speedy 6-0, 6-1 match at fourth
singles.
On
Saturday, April 21, WCU advanced to the PSAC Semifinals after shutting
out ESU 5-0 in Bloomsburg, PA. Ellis (6-0, 6-0) and Considine (6-1,
6-1) ended the best-of-five match with wins at first and second
singles, respectively. The Golden Rams swept all three doubles
contests, beginning with Ellis and Renn (8-0) at first, Considine and
McCaffrey (8-2) at second and Stricker and Phipps (8-5) at third.
April
19
John
Ellis keeps record perfect at first singles
Golden
Rams open up PSAC Championship
vs. East Stroudsburg on Saturday
BLOOMSBURG,
PA - If the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference had not opted
to change its Championship format for 2001, West Chester University
sophomore John Ellis (Wilmington, DE/Salesianum) may
have just winged his way through the first flight singles bracket.
He
may not yet be at the level of all-time great Clifford Owen, the
outstanding Golden Ram from the 1940’s who was inducted into the WCU
Hall of Fame last fall, but Ellis has certainly created a lot of
racket around the PSAC.
In
12 dual matches this season, Ellis has posted a perfect 11-0 mark at
first singles. Day in and day out he takes on the opposition’s top
player and routinely walks away with a victory.
Of
the four PSAC Men’s Tennis Player of the Week awards given
out in 2001, Ellis has claimed two of them (Mar. 28 & Apr. 10).
Even
when the scores read 8-1 the Bad Guys, the lone victor on the Good
Guys squad is usually Ellis.
Since
his freshman year, Ellis has compiled a 16-2 mark all at first
singles. If that isn’t enough, Ellis is required to face the top two
players on the other team while playing first doubles. He is 8-9 with
a partner over two seasons.
This
year the PSAC Championship will be held under a team format instead of
the six singles and three doubles flights formerly in use. They have
been give frequent flyer miles elsewhere.
Ellis
and his Golden Rams will square off against East Stroudsburg on
Saturday morning in Bloomsburg, PA, in the PSAC Quarterfinals. The
Golden Rams will face the Bloomsburg-Cheyney winner in the semifinals
if they defeat ESU, or take on the ESU-Cheyney loser in the
consolation bracket. A win and the Golden Rams won’t have to play
until Sunday at 10 a.m.
The Golden
Rams are the #4 seed in the tournament, while Bloomsburg is the
top-ranked team. WCU traveled to ESU on Tuesday, but rain halted the
match after the teams played through the three doubles contests.
In
addition to Ellis, freshman Brian Stricker (Warmin-ster/William
Tennent) has posted a 6-6 mark, including a 2-0 record at
fourth singles. Senior Dan Phipps (Glen-moore/O.J. Roberts)
is 3-0 in singles matches this season and 10-8 for his career.
The
Golden Rams wrapped up the regular with a tough 8-1 loss at
Millersville on April 10. WCU is now 7-6 entering the PSAC’s.
Ellis
was the lone winner, beating Keith Mahaffey of Millersville 6-7 (7-4),
6-2, 6-1. After battling through the opening set and losing in a tough
tie-breaker, Ellis wore down Mahaffey to take the match 2-1.
The
Golden Rams season seemed as compact as the swings of the team’s
players. On March 23 the spring schedule began, while the loss at
Millersville on April 10 ended the
12-matches-in-just-under-three-weeks slate.
After
defeating Division I LaSalle in the fall, the Golden Rams began the
spring with a 9-0 blanking of Lincoln on March 23. Stricker earned his
first collegiate victory at sixth singles against the Lions.
The
Golden Rams fell to Dowling (Mar. 24) and Division I Bucknell (Mar.
25) by identical 7-2 scores at home, but it was Ellis beating both #1
players. He swept Tomas Ungbari of Dowling 7-5, 6-4, then dominated
Alex Davydov of Division I Bucknell 6-0, 6-1. Ellis teamed up with
sophomore Dan Renn (Philadelphia/Central) for a first
doubles victory against Bucknell (8-4), while Stricker claimed a sixth
singles victory against Dowling (6-3, 6-3).
Ellis
also beat Kenny Leung of Division I Lehigh 6-0, 6-0 at first singles
on April 3. The Golden Rams lost 7-2 at home but also picked up a
second doubles victory thanks to sophomore John Considine
(Stratford, NJ/Sterling) and freshman Keith McCaffrey
(York/Central York). The duo won its match 8-6.
On
April 1, the Golden Rams beat Philadelphia University 6-3. Ellis took
first singles (6-4, 7-6 - 7-0 tie-breaker) and Renn rallied for a
victory at third singles (5-7, 6-1, 6-1). Renn and Ellis also grabbed
first doubles 8-4, while McCaffrey picked up a fifth singles match
6-0, 6-2.
The
Golden Rams cruised to a 9-0 stomping of Cheyney on April 4 as Ellis
sat out the match and everyone else bumped up a slot.
Considine,
Renn, freshman Brett Dolimpio (Carlisle/Trinity),
McCaffrey, Stricker and Phipps easily stole first through sixth
singles, respectively.
April
6 saw the beginning of a four-match-in-three-days event for the Golden
Rams. WCU took on Division III power Mary Washington on April 6,
losing at the indoor courts of Penn Oaks 8-1. Ellis was the lone
winner, battling for a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 first singles triumph.
On Saturday,
April 7, the PSAC Duals took place at WCU as the Golden Rams swept
both Slippery Rock (8-1) and Edinboro (5-4). The first match against
the Fighting Scots saw the Golden Rams take two of three doubles
contests to eke out the victory. The two teams split the singles
matches thanks to Ellis (6-1, 1-6, 6-4) at first, Considine (6-4, 7-6)
at second and McCaffrey (6-2, 7-6) at fifth.
Ellis
and Renn teamed up for an 8-3 win at first doubles, while Considine
and McCaffrey grabbed second doubles 8-3.
The
Golden Rams breezed by Slippery Rock 8-1 after sweeping three doubles
matches and taking five of six singles contests. Ellis (6-3, 6-2),
Considine (6-2, 6-0) and Renn (7-5, 7-5) were unimpeded from first
through third singles, while McCaffrey (6-2, 6-2) and Stricker (3-6,
6-2, 6-1) grabbed fifth and sixth singles, respectively.
First
doubles belonged to Ellis and Renn (8-1), while second doubles went to
Considine and McCaffrey (6-2, 6-2). Stricker and Phipps captured third
doubles 8-6.
On
Sunday, April 8, the PSAC Duals were capped with a tough 7-2 vs.
Kutztown. Ellis won first singles over Guerillimo Ramos (7-5, 6-4),
while Considine took second singles 6-4, 6-3 from 2000 PSAC First
Flight Champion John Ruggiero. |
