Posted: April 4, 2009
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Sophomore Collin Laffey won his match at No. 2 singles as Lehigh fell to Navy by a 6-1 score Saturday inside the Lewis Tennis Center. With wind gusts of 45 miles per hour outside, the teams were forced inside, where the two-time defending Patriot League champion Midshipmen swept the doubles matches and won five singles matches in straight sets. Lehigh falls to 6-4, 1-3 in the Patriot League with the loss, while Navy is 14-7, 3-0.
Navy clinched the doubles point with wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 flights. The closest match was at No. 2 doubles where freshman Edgars Rauza and Leland Richardson forced a tiebreak, before falling 7-5 in the tiebreak to Nick Birger and Jason Hill.
Laffey was down 5-1 in the first set of his match with Marcus Rebersak, before battling back to force a tiebreak, which he won 7-5. In the second set, Laffey cruised to a 6-0 win to account for Lehigh’s only points of the match. The Midshipmen prevailed in the five remaining flights to remain tied with rival Army atop the league standings.
The Mountain Hawks will be back on the court on Sunday when they travel to West Point, N.Y. for a neutral site match against Patriot League rival Holy Cross. Match time is set for 8 a.m. from the campus of the U.S. Military Academy.
Navy 6, Lehigh 1
Doubles
1. Nelms/Waters (Navy) def. List/Laffey (LU) 8-2
2. Birger/Hill (Navy) def. Rauza/Richardson (LU) 9-8 (7-5)
3. Bullard/Lemaich (Navy) def. Pacheco/Silbert (LU) 8-4
Singles
1. Nate Nelms (Navy) def. Troy List (LU) 6-2, 7-6 (7-2)
2. Collin Laffey (LU) def. Marcus Rebersak (Navy) 7-6 (7-5), 6-0
3. John Waters (Navy) def. Leland Richardson (LU) 6-3, 6-2
4. Jason Hill (Navy) def. Edgars Rauza (LU) 6-3, 6-2
5. Ramsey Lemaich (Navy) def. Arnaldo Pacheco (LU) 6-2, 6-2
6. Owen Bullard (Navy) def. Cameron Silbert (LU) 6-3, 6-2