Tusculum Rallies for 5-4 Win Over Presbyterian to Claim SAC Regular Season Men's Tennis Title
April 10, 2005

Courtesy Tusculum College Sports Information Office

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Pedro Galavis fought back from a set down to win at No. 4 singles as the Tusculum College men's tennis team rallied to upset No. 27 Presbyterian College 5-4 to win the 2005 South Atlantic Conference regular season championship Sunday afternoon at the Nichols Tennis Complex.

For Tusculum (10-5, 6-0 SAC) it is its second SAC title since joining the league in 1999 and first since 2002. The Blue Hose fall to 8-8 overall and 4-1 in league play.

Down 4-2 after doubles and three singles matches, the bottom of the line-up stepped up for Tusculum as Carlos Garcia (Caracas, Venezuela) and Michael Hallford (Baton Rouge, La.) won at No. 5 and No. 6 singles, respectively, evening the match at 4-4. Galavis dropped the first set 6-2 to PC's Nick Osborne (Hutton Rudby, England) at No. 4 singles, but bounced back winning 6-4, 6-1 in the final two sets and claiming the victory for the Pioneers.

Tusculum captured two of the three doubles points. Garcia and Sergio Espinosa (Caracas, Venezuela) outlasted the No. 1 doubles pair of Paul Ratchford (Delta, British Columbia, Canada) and Kshitij Dwivedi (New Delhi, India) 8-6 in pro sets. TC's No. 3 pair of Hallford and Galavis won 8-5 over Hector Rincon (London, England) and Zach Glankler (Highland Village, Texas). Trailing 2-1, Presbyterian answered winning three consecutive singles matches by Rincon, Ratchford and Dwivedi before Tusculum's rally.

The Pioneers return to action on Tuesday when they face Virginia Intermont College for a 4:30 p.m. match to be played in Johnson City, Tenn. The Blue Hose return home to host Wingate University on Monday for a 2:30 p.m. match.

By winning the regular-season title, the Pioneers receive a first-round bye in the Food Lion SAC Men's Tennis Tournament and will host the semifinals and finals of the men's tournament, scheduled for Friday, April 22.

Tusculum 5, No. 27 Presbyterian 4
Singles
1 - Hector Rincon (PC) def. Roberto Robles 6-1, 6-1
2 - Paul Ratchford (PC) def. Jesse Puckerin 6-0, 6-3
3 - Kshitij Dwivedi (PC) def. Sergio Espinosa 6-2, 6-4
4 - Pedro Galavis (TC) def. Nick Osborne 2-6, 6-4, 6-1
5 - Carlos Garcia (TC) def. Al Morgan 6-4, 6-2
6 - Michael Hallford (TC) def. Zach Glankler 6-3, 6-3
Doubles
1 - Garcia/Espinosa (TC) def. Ratchford/Dwivedi 8-6
2 - Osborne/Morgan (PC) def. Robles/Puckerin 8-1
3 - Hallford/Galavis (TC) def. Rincon/Glankler 8-5

Records: Tusculum (10-5, 6-0 SAC); Presbyterian (8-8, 4-1 SAC)