HILTON HEAD, S.C. -
On their final day of spring break, the men faced Shenandoah University at Hilton Head Island, SC and fell 6-1.
Doubles started strong when Jake Chapman / Aiden Benoualid took charge as Berry's most experienced duo, breaking on just the fourth game of the set to solidify a 6-2 victory. Following third doubles defeat, second doubles Jace Goode / Xavier Deckard stayed proactive at the net as they mounted pressure on Shenandoah University. However, their opponents stepped up their play on the tail end of the set, capitalizing on key service points to clinch the doubles point for themselves.
Despite Berry trailing 0-1 in match count after the doubles,
Jace Goode at second singles and Leo Nedkov at third singles sprinted to first set victories with decisive ball striking, but their opponents were adaptive and managed to turn the tide by fighting for every ball. Both Leo and Jace began the third set tiebreaks on even terms, just barely losing by very fine margins. With the match count 0-3, first singles player and captain
Jake Chapman was intent to change the tide with dominant ball striking. He had his opponent on the run the entire match as neither player refused to give up, producing some of the longest rallies of the day! Ultimately, his opponent's consistency and tenacity prevailed, and Berry finished the day trailing 1-6 with
Aiden Benoualid securing the only win. Overall, the men produced great tennis during this year's spring break, and we look forward to their next match when they play Emory and Covenant in a double header!
