Scots Upend Oberlin for Fifth in NCAC

Grant D'Augustine

The College of Wooster men’s tennis team capped off its season by earning a fifth-place finish at the 2008 North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament held Saturday and Sunday in Oberlin, Ohio, on the campus of Oberlin College.

The Fighting Scots, the No. 6 seed in the tournament, began with a 5-3 setback against third-seeded Wabash College on Saturday afternoon. The Scots then faced No. 7 seed Ohio Wesleyan University in the back draw portion Saturday morning, prevailing by a 5-0 count, and were victorious in the fifth-place match late Sunday over No. 5 seed Oberlin by a score of 5-1.

Against Wabash, Wooster’s No. 1 tandem of Grant D’Augustine and Pat Grab eased through their doubles match, earning an 8-1 victory. The Little Giants took a 2-1 lead into singles action, though, with victories at No. 2 and No. 3.

In singles action, D’Augustine cruised at No. 2 by a 6-1, 6-0 count, and Ethan Arenstein grabbed a point at No. 5 with a 6-3, 7-5 score. Wabash, however, garnered points at No.1, No. 4, and No. 6 to take the match.

The Scots next faced the Battling Bishops, and Wooster was never really tested. D’Augustine and Grab battled to an 8-6 victory at No. 1 doubles, while Dave Albrechta and Arenstein came out with an 8-4 win at No. 2. The No. 3 team of Rob Ashmead and Andrew Garnett took an 8-2 decision for the Scots. During singles play, Grab defeated Daniel Thangarajah at No. 3 (6-0, 6-1), and Chris Collen found himself on the winning end of a 6-2, 6-2 decision at No. 6.

Wooster advanced to play in the fifth-place match, where it faced off against Oberlin, a team that nipped the Scots by a 5-4 count during the regular season. The Scots turned the tables this time, earning the four-point victory in a match played to decision. Wooster possessed a 2-1 lead after the doubles competition, highlighted by the No. 1 team of D’ Augustine and Grab earning their third victory of the weekend by a score of 8-6, along with Albrechta and Arenstein’s victory at No. 2, 8-5. 

D’Augustine earned a straight-set victory (6-1, 6-4) from the No. 2 slot, Grab followed suit at No. 3 (6-0, 6-2), and Jeremy Dominik secured the match in similar fashion at No. 4 (6-3, 6-3).

The Scots conclude their season with an overall record of 8-14.