FRANCISCAN WINS SECOND STRAIGHT AMCC TITLE, AUTOMATIC BID TO NCAA TOURNAMENT

For the second year in a row and third time in four years, Franciscan University has won the AMCC men's tennis championship.  But unlike the ease with which they moved through the regular season conference schedule, this one was a bona fide dog fight.

Top seeded Barons  defeated #2 Pitt-Greensburg, 5-4, in the championship match held at Westwood Racquet Club in Erie, PA.

The Bobcats gave Franciscan all they could handle.  The doubles stanza ended with the Barons up 2-1, with wins at #1 and #2.  Pitt-Greensburg dug in their heels during the singles segment, with #1 David Cenkner handing Paul Jarzynka his first conference loss of the season, 6-3-6-2, followed by a win at #6 singles by Matt Kimmel over Joe Staniszewski, 6-1, 7-5, and the Bobcats were ahead 3-2.

The Barons took back the lead in the next two matches.  #4 Luke Merry defeated Anthony Backowski, 6-1, 6-3, and then #3 David Freytag pulled away from Jeremy Niemiec, 6-4, 6-3.

A pair of three setters were left to determine the winner.  UPG knotted the match when #5 Tyler Fox battled past Rob Butcher, 6-1, 5-7, 6-3.

All that was left was #2 singles, a high quality exchange that made both teams proud.  Franciscan's Zack Quiza took the first set, 6-2, but the Bobcats' Tomas Monti roared back to win set #2, 6-3.  Quiza put the pedal down in set #3 for a 6-2 victory, sealing the championship for Franciscan.

The Barons will have to wait until early May to find out their opponent and location for the NCAA Division III tournament.


TOURNAMENT RESULTS

Championship:  Franciscan d. Pitt-Greensburg, 5-4

#1 Doubles: Paul Jarzynka/Zack Quiza (FRN) d. David Cenkner/Tomas Monti (UPG), 8-4
#2 Doubles: David Freytag/Luke Merry (FRN) d. Jeremy Niemiec/Anthony Backowski (UPG), 8-3
#3 Doubles: Tyler Fox/Matt Kimmel (UPG) d. Rob Butcher/Joe Staniszewski (FRN), 8-6

#1 Singles: David Cenkner (UPG) d. Paul Jarzynka (FRN), 6-3, 6-2
#2 Singles: Zack Quiza (FRN) d. Tomas Monti (UPG), 6-2, 3-6, 6-2
#3 Singles: David Freytag (FRN) d. Jeremy Niemiec (UPG), 6-4, 6-3
#4 Singles: Luke Merry (FRN) d. Anthony Backowski (UPG), 6-1, 6-3
#5 Singles: Tyler Fox (UPG) d. Rob Butcher (FRN), 6-1, 5-7, 6-3
#6 Singles: Matt Kimmel (UPG) d. Joe Staniszewski (FRN), 6-1, 7-5


Semifinal #1:  Franciscan d. Penn St. Altoona, 5-0

#1 Doubles:  Paul Jarzynka/Zack Quiza (FRN) d. Adam Hack/Patrick Albright (PSA), 8-1
#2 Doubles:  David Freytag/Luke Merry (FRN) d. Chris Reighard/Jorge Requena (PSA), 8-2
#3 Doubles:  Rob Butcher/Joe Staniszewski (FRN) d. Joe Settimio/Alex Albright (PSA), 8-1

#1 Singles:  Paul Jarzynka (FRN) d. Chris Reighard (PSA), 6-0, 6-0
#2 Singles:  Zack Quiza (FRN) vs. Adam Hack (PSA), unfinished 
#3 Singles:  David Freytag (FRN) vs. Patrick Albright (PSA), unfinished
#4 Singles:  Luke Merry (FRN) d. Alex Albright (PSA), 6-0, 6-1
#5 Singles:  Rob Butcher (FRN) vs. Joe Settimio (PSA), unfinished
#6 Singles:  Joe Staniszewski (FRN) vs. Ben Settimio (PSA), unfinished


Semifinal #2:  Pitt-Greensburg d. Pitt-Bradford, 5-1

#1 Doubles:  David Cenkner/Tomas Monti (UPG) d. Allan Miller/Kosta Teveroskiy (UPB), 8-2
#2 Doubles: Jeremy Niemiec/Anthony Backowski (UPG) d. Travis Scida/Ian Vaughan (UPB), 8-6
#3 Doubles:  Tyler Fox/Matt Kimmel (UPG) d. Dylan Nuzzo/Jordan Dugan (UPB), 9-7

#1 Singles:  David Cenkner (UPG) d. Kosta Teveroskiy (UPB), 6-3, 6-1
#2 Singles:  Tomas Monti (UPG) vs. Travis Scida (UPB), unfinished
#3 Singles:  Jeremy Niemiec (UPG) d. Allan Miller (UPB), 6-3, 6-3
#4 Singles:  Anthony Backowski (UPG) vs. Ian Vaughan (UPB), unfinished
#5 Singles:  Tyler Fox (UPG) vs. Jordan Dugan (UPB), unfinished
#6 Singles:  Dylan Nuzzo (UPB) d. Matt Kimmel (UPG), 6-1, 6-4