East Carolina University
Drake University
No. 42 Drake Blanks Pirates, 4-0
March 21, 2008 | Men's Tennis
March 21, 2008
GREENVILLE, N.C. - Drake, ranked 42nd nationally in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Poll, extended its consecutive regular season match win streak to 35 straight with a travel schedule-shortened 4-0 non-conference victory over East Carolina Friday afternoon at the ECU Tennis Complex.
The loss snapped a seven-match winning streak for the Pirates, who dropped their overall spring record to 12-7. On the other hand, the victory pushed the Bulldogs' perfect mark to 15-0 this season.
Drake won the doubles point and followed with singles wins at the No. 1, 4 and 6 positions.
Dalibor Pavic and Maor Zirkin handed the ECU tandem of Aleksey Kochetov and Henrik Skalmerud an 8-1 loss for DU's first win of the day before Drake's duo of Mauricio Ballivian and Ivan Mendoza ended doubles action with an 8-2 win over Matt Peeler and Henrique Viana.
Mendoza started singles play with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over ECU's Peeler at the No. 6 slot before Pavic and Ballivian followed with wins at No. 1 and 4, respectively. Pavic, who currently stands 64th in the latest ITA rankings, defeated Viana 6-1, 6-2, while Ballivian completed the sweep with a 6-3, 6-4 triumph over Skalmerud.
The Pirates will be back in action Monday, traveling to Farmville, Va., to battle Longwood in a non-conference make-up match that was originally scheduled for March 7 but was postponed because of rain. First serve is set for 2:00 p.m.
No. 42 DRAKE 4, EAST CAROLINA 0
Singles Play
No. 1 - Dalibor Pavic (DU) def. Henrique Viana (ECU); 6-1, 6-2
No. 2 - Maor Zirkin (DU) vs. Stephen Whitwell (ECU); 6-2, 4-3 unfinished
No. 3 - Ricardo Lau (DU) vs. Aleksey Kochetov (ECU); 6-2, 4-3 unfinished
No. 4 - Mauricio Ballivian (DU) def. Henrik Skalmerud (ECU); 6-3, 6-4
No. 5 - Bokang Setshogo (DU) vs. Bryan Oakley (ECU); 6-2, 3-1 unfinished
No. 6 - Ivan Mendoza (DU) def. Matt Peeler (ECU); 6-2, 6-0
Doubles Play
No. 1 - Pavic/Zirkin (DU) def. Kochetov/Skalmerud (ECU); 8-1
No. 2 - Oakley/Whitwell (ECU) vs. Lau/Setshogo (DU); 6-3 unfinished
No. 3 - Ballivian/Mendoza (DU) def. Peeler/Viana (ECU; 8-2
Team Records: Drake 15-0, East Carolina 12-7
