Men's Tennis Gets Back on Winning Track

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Feb. 28, 1998

BOISE, Idaho — The University of Virginia men’s tennis team returned to the win column this afternoon with a 5-2 victory over #46 New Mexico in a match played at Boise State University’s Boas Indoor Tennis Center. The Cavaliers, 31st in the current rankings, improve to 6-2 this season, while the Lobos fall to 3-3 overall.

The match was not a good one for ranked players as both ranked singles players and a ranked doubles team fell.

The Cavaliers jumped to the early lead by winning the doubles point. Virginia scored an upset at #1 as Justin Smith and John Winter defeated the nation’s 26th-ranked duo of Jeff Williams and Pepe Caballero 9-8. Freshmen Huntley Montgomery and Brian Vahaly won their 14th match this season with an 8-1 win over Takeshi Itoh and Assaf Drori.

John Winter got things going for Virginia in singles with his seventh consecutive win. He defeated Takeshi Itoh 6-2, 6-2 at #5. Bear Schofield got his first win over a ranked player this season with a 6-4, 6-2 triumph over 27th-ranked Jeff Williams at #1.

Freshman Huntley Montgomery won for the sixth time in his last seven starts by downing Nicolas Dubey 7-5, 6-2 at #3. Hyon Yoo, playing only his second match of the season at #4, defeated Assaf Drori 6-4, 7-5.

Highly regarded freshman Brian Vahaly’s bad luck continued as he dropped his third consecutive match. He fell to Pepe Caballero 6-4, 7-6.

Freshman Tommy Croker won the first set, but lost the next two to fall to Ray Jaramillo 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 at #6.

The Cavaliers return to action tomorrow against 16th-ranked Boise State. The match is scheduled to begin at 3 PM (eastern).

Virginia 5, New Mexico 2

Singles
1–Bear Schofield (V) def. #27 Jeff Williams 6-4, 6-2
2–Pepe Caballero (NM) def. #75 Brian Vahaly 6-4, 7-6
3–Huntley Montgomery (V) def. Nicolas Dubey 7-5, 6-2
4–Hyon Yoo (V) def. Assaf Drori 6-4, 7-5
5–John Winter (V) def. Takeshi Itoh 6-2, 6-2
6–Ray Jaramillo (NM) def. Tommy Croker 2-6, 6-4, 7-6

Doubles
1–Justin Smith/Winter (V) def. #26 Williams/Caballero 9-8
2–Montgomery/Vahaly (V) def. Itoh/Drori 8-1
3–Dubey/Jaramillo (NM) def. Croker/Brian Hunter 8-5

Records: Virginia 6-2, New Mexico 3-3