The University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg men's tennis team split a Sunday doubleheader with Carlow, dropping a narrow 4-3 decision in the opener before bouncing back with a strong 5-2 victory in the second match.
Match 1: Bobcats Fall Just Short, 4-3
Pitt-Greensburg opened the day in a tightly contested match but was unable to overcome an early deficit, falling 4-3.
Carlow took control early by sweeping all three doubles matches to secure the opening point. The Bobcats battled throughout singles play to get back into the match.
Ryan Cole highlighted the effort at No. 2 singles, grinding out a 7-5, 6-3 win to put Pitt-Greensburg on the board. Jack Norris followed with a resilient performance at No. 4, responding after a second-set setback by dominating a match tiebreak, 10-3.
The Bobcats continued to fight in the lower half of the lineup. Sam Vogel earned a 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 5, while Daniel Cipcic capped a comeback effort with a 10-6 match tiebreak victory at No. 6.
Despite the strong singles push, Carlow's early doubles sweep proved decisive as Pitt-Greensburg came up just short in a 4-3 final.
Match 2: Pitt-Greensburg Responds with 5-2 Victory
The Bobcats bounced back in the second match of the day, using a strong doubles showing and depth in singles play to secure a 5-2 win.
Pitt-Greensburg claimed the doubles point by winning two of three matches. The teams of Michael Opal and Jack Norris (No. 2) and Sam Vogel and Daniel Cipcic (No. 3) each earned convincing victories, 6-2 and 6-1 respectively, to give the Bobcats early momentum.
That momentum carried into singles play, where Pitt-Greensburg won four of six matches.
Michael Opal delivered a key performance at No. 1 singles, bouncing back after dropping the second set to take a decisive 10-6 match tiebreak. Jack Schiffhauer followed with a steady 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 2, while Ryan Cole controlled his match at No. 3 with a dominant straight-sets victory, 6-2, 6-2.
Daniel Cipcic added the clinching point at No. 6, rolling to a 6-1, 6-2 win to secure the team victory.
Carlow picked up points at No. 4 and No. 5 singles, but the Bobcats' depth proved to be the difference in the 5-2 result.
