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April 19, 2008

Final Stats

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy tennis team tallied a 4-3 victory over Army Saturday afternoon at the U.S. Naval Academy to increase its Star Match winning streak over the Black Knights to three-straight matches and its overall winning streak in the series to four.

"We have a lot of respect for Army," said Navy head coach John Officer. "They are a very good team. We know we are going to have to play to the best of our abilities every time we face them. The matches are always close and go back and forth."

This marks the fourth consecutive year in which the final score of the Star Match between the teams has been 4-3, with the team that won the doubles point going on to win each of the four contests. Navy won the doubles point Saturday with wins at Nos. 2 and 3 doubles. Alex James (Sr., Visalia, Calif.) and Ramsey Lemaich (So., Danville, Calif.) were first to finish as Navy's No. 2 duo posted an 8-1 win over Sean Harris and Johnny Lucero. Navy then clinched the all-important doubles point when Nick Birger (Fr., Belleville, Ill.) and Jason Hill (Jr., Marietta, Ga.) recorded an 8-3 victory over Jordan Girdley and Tripp Johnson at the No. 3 flight.

Army prevented a Navy sweep in doubles when Eddie Kang and Phil Muhawi posted a 9-8 (7-2) win over Nate Nelms (Jr., St. Mary's, Ga.) and Johnny Waters (Jr., Papillion, Neb.) at No. 1 doubles.

"Our doubles play has been good all year," said Officer. "The teams have a lot of experience partnering with each other. Alex and Ramsey played especially well today."

Navy took a 2-0 lead when Nelms recorded a 6-1, 6-1 win over Muhawi at No. 1 singles, but Army won the next two matches to tie the score at 2-2. Harris put Army on the board with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Hill at No. 3 singles, then Kang, who last week broke the Army record for the most singles victories in a career, posted a 6-2, 6-1 win over Waters to even the team score.

"I'm really proud of Nate," said Officer. "He played very well today in the singles.

"Eddie is a superb competitor. He fights on every point and has a good all-around game. He can attack, he can come in, and he plays well under pressure. Sean also played an extremely good match today. Jason just didn't have any answers for him."

A key swing match took place at No. 5 singles between James and Johnson. After Johnson won the first set by the score of 6-2, James dropped only one game in winning the next two sets by the scores of 6-1 and 6-0, respectively, to give Navy a 3-2 lead. Lemaich, who clinched Navy's Patriot League Tournament victory over Army last year, won the fourth and deciding point for the Mids again today as he won a 6-3, 6-4 decision over Chris Albornoz at No. 4 singles.

"The win by Alex was a big boost for us," said Officer. "It was a big turnaround from his first set.

"I'm happy for Ramsey. He did a great job of closing out his match today."

The last match of the day saw Girdley record a 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Owen Bullard (Fr., Concord, N.C.) at No. 6 singles.

Both teams were buoyed by the large crowd representing both schools at the match held on a sun-drenched spring day in Annapolis.

"We very much want to thank (Navy athletic director) Chet Gladchuk and (USNA Commandant) Captain Margaret Klein for helping us get so many Mids at the match," said Officer. "The Mids were great today, as were all of the Cadets from Army who made the trip down. They all helped to make it a great atmosphere for both teams to compete in."

With a 5-0 record in the league, Navy will enter next week's Patriot League Tournament (to be held at Colgate in Hamilton, N.Y.) as the No. 1 seed in the seven-team field and receive a quarterfinal round bye. Army, with its 5-1 record, will be the No. 2 seed.

"Winning the Star was one of our goals for this season," said Officer. "We are very happy to have accomplished that goal, but it was far from the only goal we set for ourselves this year. We now turn our attention to the Patriot League Tournament.

"Myself, (assistant coach) John Moreland, who does a great job in helping us get ready to play and is a very good coach during matches, and all of our players know we are going to have to work very hard this week in our preparation for the league tournament. There is no time to let up or rest on what we have accomplished. There is still more to do and over the next few days we have to do whatever it takes in order for us to be ready next weekend."

Navy (18-8 / 5-0 Patriot League) defx. Army (14-7 / 5-1), 4-3
Doubles -- Navy wins the doubles point (match finish order: 2-3-1)
1. Kang / Muhawi (ARMY) def. Nelms / Waters, 9-8 (7-2)
2. James / Lemaich (NAVY) def. Harris / Johnny Lucero, 8-1
3. Nick Birger / Hill (NAVY) def. Girdley / Johnson, 8-3
Singles (match finish order: 1-3-2-5-4-6)
1. Nate Nelms (NAVY) def. Phil Muhawi, 6-1, 6-1
2. Eddie Kang (ARMY) def. Johnny Waters, 6-2, 6-1
3. Sean Harris (ARMY) def. Jason Hill, 6-1, 6-2
4. Ramsey Lemaich (NAVY) def. Chris Albornoz, 6-3, 6-4
5. Alex James (NAVY) def. Tripp Johnson, 2-6, 6-1, 6-0
6. Jordan Girdley (ARMY) def. Owen Bullard, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3