Tennis teams sweep Cal Lutheran, 8-1

David Aizenberg '20 (photo by Jeff Lamanna)
David Aizenberg '20 (photo by Jeff Lamanna)

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The Brandeis University tennis teams picked up a sweep of Cal Lutheran University in the second match of their annual February break trip to California. The #19 Brandeis women defeated the Regals, 8-1, while the #20 men topped the Kingsmen by the same score. The Judge women improve to 3-0 on the season, while the men move to 2-0. CLU women are now 0-2 and the men are 0-3.

On the men's side, the Judges took a 2-1 lead after doubles action. The hosts opened the scoring with an 8-3 win by Lucas Tilly and Mike Sulahian at No. 3, but Brandeis's top tandem of sophomore David Aizenberg (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park) and Anupreeth Coramutla (Monroe Township, N.J. / Phillips Andover) tied the match with an 8-4 win. Juniors Jackson Kogan (Pacific Palisades, Calif. / Windward School) and Tyler Ng (Great Neck, N.Y./Great Neck South) gave Brandeis the lead, 8-6, at No. 2.

In singles action, rookies Nikhil Das (Smithfield, R.I. / Moses Brown School) and Rajan Vohra (Glen Head, N.Y. / North Shore) rallied from their doubles loss to earn the first two singles points. Das was a 6-2, 6-2, winner at No. 5, followed by a 6-3, 6-3, win by Vohra at No. 4. Aizenberg clinched the win at No. 2 with a 6-3, 6-2, win.

The Judges showed toughness in the final group of three matches, as all three players rallied from a set down to earn their wins. Kogan was a 6-7, 6-4, 10-5, winner at No. 1, Ng took a 4-6, 6-4, 8-6, decision at No. 3, and sophomore Benjamin Wolfe (Blue Bell, Pa./Wissahickon) took a 4-6, 6-0, 6-4, victory at No. 6.

In the women's match, the teams started with singles play so that both teams would be able to play doubles simultaneously. Junior Michele Lehat (Great Neck, N.Y./ John L. Miller Great Neck North) picked up a quick win at No. 4 singles, 6-0, 6-1, to get them on the board. CLU's Gianna Culpo evened the match for the Regals at No. 3 with a 6-2, 6-2, win. Brandeis rookie Rachel Zubrinsky (Waxhaw, N.C. / Marvin Ridge) put the Judges ahead for good at No. 5, 6-3, 6-2, while classmate Isabel Cepeda (Mason, Ohio / William Mason) earned her first point of the season for the team at No. 6 with a 6-3, 6-4, victory. Senior Haley Cohen (Cherry Hill, N.J./Laurel Springs Prep) dominated at the top spot in the lineup, 6-3, 6-1, to make it a 4-1 match, and junior Keren Khromchenko (Manalapan, N.J./Allied Academy of Health and Science) clinched the win at No. 2 with a marathon match, 6-2, 5-7, 10-6, taking the third in a super tiebreaker.

The Judges finished off the match with a doubles sweep. Lehat and Khromchenko opened with an 8-1 win at No. 3, while Cohen and rookie Lauren Bertsch (Middletown, R.I. / LaSalle Academy) were 8-3 winners at No. 2. Sophomore Sabrina Ross Neergaard (Port Orchard, Wash./Laurel Springs Prep) and junior Olivia Leavitt (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth) completed the sweep with the closest doubles decision at No. 1, 8-6.

 

The Brandeis women are back in action tomorrow at No. 35 University of Redlands, while the men take on Occidental College on Friday.