In what proved to be another successful day for Wolfpack tennis, the men’s team came out on top against both its opponents to finish up their non-conference play before starting with ACC opposition in the coming week.
Starting out the day against Binghampton, the Pack won its 13th doubles point of the season in 15 encounters. However it wasn’t mean to be that easy for the Pack, with sophomore Sean Weber getting trounced in straight sets and the trip of freshman Beck Bond, redshirt sophomore Matt Thompson and junior Rafael Paez all getting stretched to three sets with only Paez able to hold out for the win.
Freshman Robbie Mudge won his 13th consecutive game of the season to remain undefeated as the Pack split the singles to win the tie by a score of 4-3.
In a matter of a few hours, the Pack returned to the court to take on Campbell. Playing for the first time at night on the newly constructed Curtis and Jacqueline Dail Outdoor Tennis Stadium, the Pack again raced off to a strong start following its 14th double point of the season.
State dominated the singles, winning five of the six matches, all of them in straight sets, with the exception of sophomore Ivan Sanchez Gomez, who won his game by forfeit after his opponent retired injured. Gomez was leading 6-2, 3-2 at that moment.
Mudge won 7-5, 6-2 against Campbell’s David Clavera to remain undefeated for the season. He was also the only singles player who played against both of Pack’s opponents.
“I think [coach Jon Choboy] just trusts our fitness levels, he knows if he has to do that, I will be fine with that,” Mudge said. “I was fresh in the second match and it was not a big deal even though the second one, score-wise, was a little bit more difficult, the guy I played was also more difficult.”
Mudge felt he was under no pressure despite his unbeaten streak this season.
“I think against a Duke team that’s really highly ranked, and they are coming into our house, which is always tough,” Mudge said. “I think I am going to be loose and just play like I usually do. I don’t think I am under pressure.”
Junior Dave Thompson, who saw action for the first time in the season, won his singles and doubles matches. Thompson said it was hard to watch the team do so well without being able to play any part but was happy to get the win under his belt.
“It’s been a while since I got onto the court. It’s been tough watching all the matches at home and seeing the team do so well and it’s frustrating because I think I can bring a lot to the team,” Thompson said. “This does a lot to my confidence coming into ACC season, starting next week to get a match under my belt.”
Despite a lack of opportunities this season, the U.K. native felt it didn’t matter who played as long as the job got done and that he was always ready to step in.
“We have got a strong team, a lot of guys trying a lot of different positions,” Thompson said. “I mean, coach knows what I can do to benefit the team and if he feels that’s what he wants on the court, I am there, and if not, I know there are a bunch of guys who can step up and that’s definitely a good thing.”
Redshirt senior Julian Sullivan placed first in the order of finish following his 6-0, 6-0 win over Campbell’s Josep Baro. Sullivan expressed satisfaction at his performance.
“It’s my first 6-0, 6-0 win in college and the first one in a while and I am proud of myself that I kept my focus like that for that long,” Sullivan said. “I was trying to make a statement to this team. We had a tough match earlier today and I just wanted to show this match that we’re a good team.
“I had to make that statement.”
The Pack takes on Duke at home on March 16 at 4 p.m.
