CAYCE – No. 24 Newberry saw their season end Friday afternoon 5-4 against 15
th-ranked Queens in the semifinal round of the SAC Tennis Championships.
The Wolves jumped out to an early lead in doubles as No. 1
Edison Ambarzumjan and
Jordan Monosky garnered the 8-1 score to put Newberry on the board. Queens secured the next point to knot it up 1-1 before all-conference duo
Nikhil Mannepalli and
Angel Pizarro fought their way past the Royals in a tight 8-7 decision to give Newberry the 2-1 lead heading to singles.
Queens began singles action with a 6-1, 6-4 win in the sixth flight to tie the game for the second time that afternoon. SAC All-Conference first team selection Ambarzumjan defeated his Royals counterpart 6-2, 6-2 to put the Wolves in front. Monosky followed up the performance in the fifth flight with his own 6-3, 6-1 victory to add another point to the Wolves lead, 3-1.
A third and final tie formed in the fourth flight after the Royals took the next two matches to make it 4-4. Queens took the first set but Newberry's
Angel Pizarro battled back to force a crucial tiebreak but fell just shy as the Royals clinched the match.
Newberry finished the ranked No. 24 in ITA Division II national rankings going 21-7 this season.
