Garnet Sew Up Playoff Berth
LANCASTER, Pa. -- The Garnet men's tennis team clinched its first-ever Centennial Conference Championship berth Saturday afternoon, rolling to a 9-0 win at Franklin & Marshall. Swarthmore won its third consecutive Conference match to improve to 6-8 overall and 6-1 in the Centennial.
Swarthmore entered the Conference this spring after 23 years of being independent, and under the direction of interim head coach Jason Box secured a playoff berth with two Centennial matches remaining on the schedule.
The Garnet (5-8 overall, 6-1 in the Centennial) made short work of the Diplomats, rolling through the doubles action, dropping just four games.
Singles’ action saw more Swarthmore success, highlighted by the first collegiate victory for junior Dan Wulc (Bryn Mawr, Pa. / Harriton). Wulc won in straight sets at No. 6, defeating F&M’s John McGuiness 6-3, 6-4.
Fellow junior Kevin Shaughnessy (South Kingston, R.I. / South Kingston) remained unbeaten when playing in the No. 1 slot (3-0), defeating Armen Vartan of F&M by scores of 6-4, 7-5.
The Diplomats fell to 4-8 overall and 2-7 in the Centennial.
In their next match, the Garnet take on 15th-ranked Johns Hopkins, the defending conference champion, on Sunday, April 20 at 1:00 p.m.