Men's Tennis Sweeps Muskingum
March 28 – NEW CONCORD, Ohio – The Bethany College men's tennis team improved their season record to 3-1 on the year, sweeping Muskingum University, 9-0, on Monday afternoon.
The Green & White dominated doubles play, dropping just three total sets in route to taking all three points. It marked the first time this season that the Bison have won all three doubles points in a match.
Freshmen Drake Berlin (Washington Court House, Ohio/Washington) and Rhone Thrash improved their doubles record to 4-0 on the season, defeating Trayton McHale and Ben Winland by an 8-0 score. The score marked the first shutout for the duo this season.
Other winners in doubles play included Kyle Booker (Forest Park, Ga./Forest Park) and Chris Ray (Henrico, Va./Mills E. Godwin) at No. 2 doubles and Marcus Hooks (Norwalk, Conn./Brien McMahon) and Jack Waters (Epsom, United Kingdom/Glyn School) at No. 3.
Booker and Ray captured their second win of the season, defeating Gene Montgomery and Rio Hosoi by an 8-1 score. Hooks and Waters, meanwhile, secured their first win as a duo, defeating Nicolas Montero and Levi Hall by a final of 8-2.
Bethany continued their solid overall play, taking all six singles points for the second-consecutive match. Thrash and Berlin each performed at the top of their games, dropping just one set, each. Thrash moved to 3-1 on the season, upending McHale 6-0, 6-1 at No. 1 singles. Berlin, the reigning PAC Player of the Week, improved to 4-0, defeating Montgomery by a similar score at No. 2.
Waters collected his second-consecutive singles victory, earning a win at No. 6 over Hall by a 6-1, 6-1 score. Hooks improved to 3-1 on the year with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Hosoi at No. 4, while Booker captured his third-straight singles win; a 6-3, 6-1 decision over Winland at No. 3. Ray finished off the sweep for the Bison, earning a 6-2, 6-3 win over Montero at No. 5.
Bethany, who has posted their best season-opening record in over ten years, will return to action on Wednesday, March 30, as they travel to Steubenville, Ohio to take on Franciscan University. The match with the Barons is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start.
