Drexel University Athletics
Friday, January 23
Drexel Armory
10:30 a.m.
Drexel University
7
vs
0
La Salle
Photo by: Greg Carroccio
Men's Tennis Downs La Salle, 7-0, to Begin the 2015 Spring Season
1/23/2015 4:04:00 PM | Men's Tennis
PHILADELPHIA – Men's tennis began the 2015 spring season on a high note, defeating La Salle, 7-0, Friday at the Armory. The women followed in the afternoon with a 7-0 victory of their own.
The match was part of the Philly Six Invitational. The Dragons advance to play Penn at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning on Penn's campus. The winner of the match will move on to play in the finals at 2 p.m., while the losing team will play for third place at 4 p.m.
"The team did well today, and this is the beginning of a long journey," head coach Mehdi Rhazali said. "Discipline and hard work is going to be the big test as we go ahead. We worked hard in practice and carried the work ethic, energy and focus into today's match."
Drexel jumped on the Explorers early beginning with doubles competition. Hamza Laalej and Dan Koehler teamed up to defeat La Salle's second position pair, 6-1, while Badr Ouabdelmoumen and Daniel Hansen defeated the Explorer's third position pair by the same score. Alex Fioravante and Xabier Saavedra held a 5-2 match lead and a 40-0 lead in the game before Drexel took the doubles point.
In singles, the Dragons looked strong as the men did not drop a set to the Explorers. Ouabdelmoumen controlled his opponent to win 6-1, 6-2, while Fioravante dropped only one game in his 6-1, 6-0 victory. Saavedra swept his opponent in the third position, 6-0, 6-0, and the freshman Laalej beat his man 6-2, 6-2. The two seniors, Koehler and Hansen, finished the men's day on the court, winning 6-0, 6-0 and 6-0, 6-1, respectively.
Just as the men did in the morning, the Dragons' women jumped on the Explorers from the first serve of doubles competition. Nicole Pivonka and Clary Rodriguez Cruz carried over momentum from a phenomenal fall season and won 6-0. Erin Bowsher and Ryshena Providence teamed up to win 6-0, while Lea Winkler and Kendra Bunch took their match by the same score.
The Dragons did not let off the gas pedal in singles play, either. Pivonka got play started as she kept her opponent off the scoreboard, 6-0, 6-0. Bowhser, in the second position, took her match 6-1, 6-1. Rodriguez Cruz, who came into the season-opener ranked No. 106 nationally, won 6-1, 6-3, while fellow nationally ranked freshman, Providence (No. 117), won commandingly, 6-0, 6-0. Winkler finished off her opponent in a clean 6-0, 6-0 victory, while Bunch concluded the day's play with a strong 6-1, 6-0 win.
The men's team will head to Penn on Saturday to take on the Quakers at 9 a.m. for a spot in the Philly Six Invitational finals later that day. Both the men and the women will return to the Drexel Armory on Sunday to face St. Francis (N.Y.), beginning at 10 a.m. with the women and the men following at 1 p.m.
For updates throughout the weekend, follow Drexel Tennis on Twitter and Facebook.
---
Men's Drexel 7, La Salle 0
Singles
Badr Ouabdelmoumen (DU) def. Brian Balico (LAS) 6-1, 6-2
Alex Fioravante (DU) def. Mark Robinson (LAS) 6-1, 6-0
Xabier Saavedra (DU) def. Dale Fetterman (LAS) 6-0, 6-0
Hamza Laalej (DU) def. Thomas Macleod (LAS) 6-2, 6-2
Dan Koehler (DU) def. Andy O'Connell (LAS) 6-0, 6-0
Daniel Hansen (DU) def. Liam Rodriguez (LAS) 6-0, 6-1
Doubles
Fioravante & Saavedra (DU) unfinished. Balico & Robinson (LAS) 5-2 (40-0)
Laalej & Koehler (DU) def. Fetterman & Macleod (LAS) 6-1
Ouabdelmoumen & Hansen (DU) def. O'Connell & Rodriguez (LAS) 6-1
Women's Drexel 7, La Salle 0
Singles
Nicole Pivonka (DU) def. Caitlin Coelho (LAS) 6-0, 6-0
Erin Bowsher (DU) def. Ally Santarelli (LAS) 6-1, 6-1
Clary Rodriguez Cruz (DU) def. Jade Smith (LAS) 6-1, 6-3
Ryshena Providence (DU) def. Celesta Smith (LAS) 6-0, 6-0
Lea Winkler (DU) def. Jayla Smith (LAS) 6-0, 6-0
Kendra Bunch (DU) def. Cecile Johnson (LAS) 6-1, 6-0
Doubles
Pivonka & Rodriguez Cruz (DU) def. Coelho & Santarelli (LAS) 6-0
Bowsher & Providence (DU) def. Jade Smith & C. Smith (LAS) 6-0
Winkler & Bunch (DU) def. Jayla Smith & Johnson (LAS) 6-0
The match was part of the Philly Six Invitational. The Dragons advance to play Penn at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning on Penn's campus. The winner of the match will move on to play in the finals at 2 p.m., while the losing team will play for third place at 4 p.m.
"The team did well today, and this is the beginning of a long journey," head coach Mehdi Rhazali said. "Discipline and hard work is going to be the big test as we go ahead. We worked hard in practice and carried the work ethic, energy and focus into today's match."
Drexel jumped on the Explorers early beginning with doubles competition. Hamza Laalej and Dan Koehler teamed up to defeat La Salle's second position pair, 6-1, while Badr Ouabdelmoumen and Daniel Hansen defeated the Explorer's third position pair by the same score. Alex Fioravante and Xabier Saavedra held a 5-2 match lead and a 40-0 lead in the game before Drexel took the doubles point.
In singles, the Dragons looked strong as the men did not drop a set to the Explorers. Ouabdelmoumen controlled his opponent to win 6-1, 6-2, while Fioravante dropped only one game in his 6-1, 6-0 victory. Saavedra swept his opponent in the third position, 6-0, 6-0, and the freshman Laalej beat his man 6-2, 6-2. The two seniors, Koehler and Hansen, finished the men's day on the court, winning 6-0, 6-0 and 6-0, 6-1, respectively.
Just as the men did in the morning, the Dragons' women jumped on the Explorers from the first serve of doubles competition. Nicole Pivonka and Clary Rodriguez Cruz carried over momentum from a phenomenal fall season and won 6-0. Erin Bowsher and Ryshena Providence teamed up to win 6-0, while Lea Winkler and Kendra Bunch took their match by the same score.
The Dragons did not let off the gas pedal in singles play, either. Pivonka got play started as she kept her opponent off the scoreboard, 6-0, 6-0. Bowhser, in the second position, took her match 6-1, 6-1. Rodriguez Cruz, who came into the season-opener ranked No. 106 nationally, won 6-1, 6-3, while fellow nationally ranked freshman, Providence (No. 117), won commandingly, 6-0, 6-0. Winkler finished off her opponent in a clean 6-0, 6-0 victory, while Bunch concluded the day's play with a strong 6-1, 6-0 win.
The men's team will head to Penn on Saturday to take on the Quakers at 9 a.m. for a spot in the Philly Six Invitational finals later that day. Both the men and the women will return to the Drexel Armory on Sunday to face St. Francis (N.Y.), beginning at 10 a.m. with the women and the men following at 1 p.m.
For updates throughout the weekend, follow Drexel Tennis on Twitter and Facebook.
---
Men's Drexel 7, La Salle 0
Singles
Badr Ouabdelmoumen (DU) def. Brian Balico (LAS) 6-1, 6-2
Alex Fioravante (DU) def. Mark Robinson (LAS) 6-1, 6-0
Xabier Saavedra (DU) def. Dale Fetterman (LAS) 6-0, 6-0
Hamza Laalej (DU) def. Thomas Macleod (LAS) 6-2, 6-2
Dan Koehler (DU) def. Andy O'Connell (LAS) 6-0, 6-0
Daniel Hansen (DU) def. Liam Rodriguez (LAS) 6-0, 6-1
Doubles
Fioravante & Saavedra (DU) unfinished. Balico & Robinson (LAS) 5-2 (40-0)
Laalej & Koehler (DU) def. Fetterman & Macleod (LAS) 6-1
Ouabdelmoumen & Hansen (DU) def. O'Connell & Rodriguez (LAS) 6-1
Women's Drexel 7, La Salle 0
Singles
Nicole Pivonka (DU) def. Caitlin Coelho (LAS) 6-0, 6-0
Erin Bowsher (DU) def. Ally Santarelli (LAS) 6-1, 6-1
Clary Rodriguez Cruz (DU) def. Jade Smith (LAS) 6-1, 6-3
Ryshena Providence (DU) def. Celesta Smith (LAS) 6-0, 6-0
Lea Winkler (DU) def. Jayla Smith (LAS) 6-0, 6-0
Kendra Bunch (DU) def. Cecile Johnson (LAS) 6-1, 6-0
Doubles
Pivonka & Rodriguez Cruz (DU) def. Coelho & Santarelli (LAS) 6-0
Bowsher & Providence (DU) def. Jade Smith & C. Smith (LAS) 6-0
Winkler & Bunch (DU) def. Jayla Smith & Johnson (LAS) 6-0
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
Drexel's Autocomplete With Tennis Coach Mehdi Rhazali
Tuesday, March 18
2018-2019 All Sport Highlight
Thursday, May 23
Men's Tennis Takes Down La Salle 6-1
Thursday, February 15
Drexel Top 10 Plays Presented by IBX on April 25, 2017
Tuesday, April 25