Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NEW CONCORD/MOUNT VERNON, Ohio – It was a great day for the Capital tennis programs and they recorded a combined flawless record on Thursday. Neither team dropped a single point as the women's team defeated OAC side Muskingum 9-0, and the men's team took down NAIA squad Mount Vernon Nazarene by a score of 7-0.


WOMEN'S MATCH
The Capital women started the day off strong in New Concord as they faced off against a familiar foe in Muskingum. Despite the two squads both being of the OAC, the match was technically a non-conference affair as it was played in the fall while the official conference season occurs in the spring. Regardless, it is always nice to shutout an opponent from the OAC. And that is exactly what the Comets did, taking every match in the contest, 9-0.

The Purple and White got the ball rolling in doubles where the pairs of Nicole Flock and Anna Fletcher, Abigail Hornacek and Rachel Smith, and Amy Wright-Lovell and Jenny Rollins took all three matches. Flock and Fletcher defeated their opponents by a score of 8-3. Hornacek and Smith took down their challengers 8-6. And the duo of Wright-Lovell and Rollins dropped their opposing pair 8-2.

CU secured the shutout by winning all six of the remaining singles matches. In order of first singles to sixth singles: Fletcher won 0-6, 6-4, 6-4; Flock won 6-3, 6-0; Hornacek won 6-2, 6-4; Wright-Lovell won 6-3, 7-6 (7-4); Kylee Fliter won 6-2, 6-3; and Ella McGlynn finished things off with a 6-3, 6-0 win. 

Capital also competed in two exhibition singles matches. The first was between two Comets as Courtney Carpenter and Ashlyn Edwards faced off. Carpenter would win 6-0. Finally, Rachel Smith won her exhibition affair by a score of 6-0 as well.

The Purple and White women will be back on Saturday for a square-off with Allegheny. That match will take place in Columbus at the Whetstone Park of Roses at 12 P.M.


MEN'S MATCH
The Capital men held up their end of the bargain in Mount Vernon as they defeated Mount Vernon Nazarene by a score of 7-0. Per NAIA rules, the match was played to seven points rather than the Division III regulated nine with the doubles matches counting as one whole point instead of three. Whichever team wins the majority of the doubles matches wins the point with the other six coming from each individual singles match. That being said, despite the men's side dropping a doubles match, the Comets still secured the 7-0 shutout and thus swept all the points possible between the men's and women's programs on the day.

Once again, the Purple and White showed their prowess in the doubles matches to start off the day. In first doubles, the duo of Luke Ritchie and Leonardo Abreu downed their opponents 6-1. In third doubles, Thomas Secrist and Spencer Surles shutout their challengers 6-0. In second doubles, Jay Fortner and Alex Stout fought their way to a 4-6 decision, dropping the match but keeping the Comets hopes of a 7-0 sweep alive due to the NAIA rules.

CU sealed the deal in singles, winning six straight. In order of first singles to sixth singles: Abreu won 7-5, 6-0; Fortner dominated 6-0, 6-0; Ritchie won 6-1, 6-0; Surles secured a win 4-6, 6-3 with a 10-8 win in the tiebreaker; Secrist won 6-2, 6-1; and Stout wrapped things up with a dominating 6-0, 6-0 win. 

Coach Cody Hurley's thoughts on the win: "We are pumped to start the season with a sweep over an opponent we lost to last year. There were some learning moments for our young team, but overall it was a tremendous effort from our entire line-up to get the win. We are looking forward to our next challenge tomorrow at Franciscan."

The Comet men will be back tomorrow, September 16, for a faceoff with Franciscan in Steubenville. The match will kickoff at 3:30 P.M.