April 1, 2005
Beverly, MA -- In a close, competitive match, the Gulls dropped their home opener, 3-6, to Salem State. In addition to the three wins that the team notched -- including Parker Olen's 6-3, 4-6, 10-7 (super tie-breaker) win at 1st singles; Matthew Nolan's 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) win at 4th singles; and Ben Bettez and Craig Cohen's 8-2 win at 3rd doubles -- the Gulls looked strong in several other matches.
"The guys competed well. I'm proud of the way they fought to the last point in each match," said coach Mark Herlihy. Olen, a freshman, kept his poise during the super tie-breaker, played in lieu of a 3rd set as darkness fell. "It would be easy to tighten up in such a situation, but Parker kept his poise and went for his shots. It was a great win for him," said Herlihy.
Nolan was in command of his match from the start, but his opponent battled back from a 1-5 deficit in the second set and forced a tie-breaker. "Matt kept his cool and closed out the match," said Herlihy. He's been a nice addition to the team. He has a lot of natural ability."
Cohen and Bettez dominated in their 3rd doubles match, controlling the net and doing a good job putting balls away. "Balls were flying off the court from the overheads and put away volleys that they were hitting. That's what is supposed to happen when a team controls a doubles match the way Craig and Ben did," said Herlihy.
Cohen played well in his 3rd singles match, before succumbing 3-6, 3-6. Nolan and Nate Buell were competitive at 2nd doubles, despite losing 4-8. "They had several game points. Had they been able to capitalize, the could have come out on top," said Herlihy.
The match also marked the collegiate debut of Nick Bayrouty, who teamed with Olen at 1st doubles and played 2nd singles. "An injury caused Nick to miss some practices and our season opener against Roger Williams," said Herlihy. "He's a real asset to the team." Bayrouty dropped the first set of his singles match, 1-6, but found his rhythm and battled in the second set, before bowing 4-6.
The Gulls host Wentworth next on Saturday, April 2 (1 pm start).
