Binghamton
Epic Comeback Leads UB to First MAC Championship & NCAA Appearance
4/25/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
AURORA, IL – After Trailing 2-0, the University at Buffalo, State University of New York men's tennis team put together an epic comeback to defeat Binghamton, 4-2, in the 2015 Mid-American Conference championship Saturday at Northern Illinois' Vaughn Tennis Center. The match was moved indoors due to rain.
In winning its first MAC title, the Bulls earn the league's automatic qualification into the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Regional rounds will take place May 8-10. The Bulls will learn their first-round fate during the NCAA team selection show on April 28 at 5:30 pm.
Sixth-year head coach Lee Nickell has led the Bulls to all four of their MAC championship appearances, including the last two in as many years. Junior Pablo Alvarez was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, while classmate Amar Hromic joined him on the all-tournament team.
"This match is a great representation of how our season has gone. These 10 men are resilient," praised Nickell. "We had the hardest schedule in program history and the guys stepped up and fought through adversity all season."
Junior Sergio Arevalillo dug his way out of a significant ditch to record a third-set win at sixth singles and clinch the victory for the fourth-seeded Bulls (12-10). Binghamton's Frenk Kote won the first set, 6-3, before Arevalillo answered with a 6-2 victory in the second. Despite Kote jumping out to a commanding 5-1 gap in the third, Arevalillo won six straight games to seal UB the MAC title with a 7-5 third set.
"Sergio came back from five match points down. It was the best way we ever could have won the match. I'm so proud. What an amazing accomplishment, something we'll live with forever."
UB, who had won five consecutive doubles points dating back to its regular-season match at Binghamton (8-16), once again surrendered the point to the Bearcats. Ismael Dinia and Vihar Shah took the second doubles match from Hromic and Alvarez, 6-2, before the Bulls' top duo of sophomore Jonathan Hannestad and Arevalillo posted a 6-4 victory against Robin Lesage and Eliott Hureau. The third position was left to decide the doubles point. Sid Hazarika and Kote outlasted UB senior Damien David and junior Akhil Mehta, 7-5, to take a 1-0 edge.
Hazarika inched the Bearcats ahead, 2-0, with a straight-set win over David at first singles, 6-2, 6-2. Alvarez answered putting the Bulls on the board at two, 7-6, 6-3, over Lesage. Hannestad evened the score at 2-2 with a win at fourth singles. He edged Hureau, 7-5, 6-4.
Hromic fought back from a tough first-set loss to defeat Thomas Caputo in three sets, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, at fifth singles to award the Bulls a 3-2 advantage.
Senior Sebastian Ionescu's third singles match against Dinia was called in Binghamton's favor, 7-6, 5-4.
UB ends a 17-year streak in which Western Michigan and Ball State won every MAC title. Binghamton was seeking its 10th NCAA bid in 13 years.
DOUBLES
No. 1: Hannestad/Arevalillo (UB) def. Lesage/Hureau (BU), 6-4
No. 2: Dinia/Shah (BU) def. Hromic/Alvarez (UB), 6-2
No. 3: Hazarika/Kote (BU) def. David/Mehta (UB), 7-5
Order of finish: 2, 1, 3
SINGLES
No. 1: Sid Hazarika (BU) def. Damien David (UB), 6-2, 6-2
No. 2: Pablo Alvarez (UB) def. Robin Lesage (BU), 7-6, 6-3
No. 3: Sebastian Ionescu (UB) vs. Ismael Dinia (BU), DNF 6-7, 4-5
No. 4: Jonathan Hannestad (UB) def. Eliott Hureau (BU), 7-5, 6-4
No. 5: Amar Hromic (UB) def. Thomas Caputo (BU), 1-6, 6-1, 6-4
No. 6: Sergio Arevalillo (UB) def. Frenk Kote (BU), 3-6, 6-2, 7-5
Order of finish: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
2015 MAC Men's Tennis All-Tournament Team
Ismael Dinia, Binghamton
Sid Hazarika, Binghamton
Pablo Alvarez, Buffalo (Most Outstanding Player)
Amar Hromic, Buffalo
Tom Hjertonsson, NIU
Jefta Kecic, Western Michigan
