NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio – Baldwin Wallace University Head Men's Tennis Coach Brian Rector '89 won his 500th career match as the team won a pair of non-conference matches against Washington & Jefferson (Pa.) College and Westminster (Pa.) College inside the North Ridge Tennis and Golf Club.
Rector, who is in his 28th season, now has a career-record of 500-100 and becomes the first coach (male or female) in the state of Ohio to win 500 dual matches. He has an impressive 194-43 mark in Ohio Athletic Conference matches and has won three OAC regular season titles and four OAC Tournament championships.
BW (5-0) defeated Washington & Jefferson (4-2) by a final score of 8-1 in the first match of the night and then knocked off Westminster (0-2) by a final score of 9-0 to give Rector his record setting victory.
Against the Presidents, the Yellow Jackets took two of three doubles matches and all six singles matches. The number one tandem of sophomore All-Ohio Athletic Conference player Dominic Polifrone (Hudson) and sophomore Matt Harris (Akron/Revere) won by a score of 8-3. The second duo of senior Academic All-OAC players Nathan Katz (Upper Arlington/Bexley) and Jake Liebler (Medina) won by a score of 8-0. Polifrone won at first singles by identical scores of 6-0. Katz earned the victory at second singles by scores of 6-2 and 6-3. Harris captured third singles by scores of 6-1 and 6-0. Senior Brian Carano (Akron/Revere) picked up the win at fourth singles by scores of 6-1 and 6-2. Liebler won a tough match at fifth singles by scores of 6-2, 7-6 and 8-6 in the tiebreaker. Sophomore Roger Boyer (Medina/Brunswick) finished things up at sixth singles by scores of 6-2 and 6-3.
In the match with the Titans, BW swept doubles and singles. Polifrone and Harris won at first doubles by a score of 8-4. Katz and Liebler took second doubles by a score of 8-0. Carano and junior Alex Papke (Federal Way, Wash./Thomas Jefferson) won third doubles by a score of 8-0. Polifrone earned the win at first singles by scores of 6-1 and 6-0. Katz took second singles by identical scores of 6-2. Harris won at third singles by scores of 6-1 and 6-0. Carano captured fourth singles by identical scores of 6-0. Liebler brought home fifth singles by identical scores of 6-0. Papke won at sixth singles by scores of 6-1 and 6-0.
The Yellow Jackets are back in action on Sunday, March 5 when they open their spring break trip in Hilton Head, South Carolina with a pair of matches against Bridgewater (Va.) College and Defiance College at 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively. BW will play three other matches while in Hilton Head.