Men's Tennis | 4/20/2017 11:34:00 AM

Championship Central

Rock Hill, S.C.----The 42nd-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs will begin SAC Tournament play Friday morning, facing third-seeded Lincoln Memorial University in the semifinals of the 2017 South Atlantic Conference men's tennis tournament in Rock Hill at 9 a.m. The Bulldogs are the number two seed, entering postseason play at 16-4 overall after going 10-1 in league play. LMU is 17-3 overall, posting a 9-2 record in conference play.

Wingate has won three of the last five SAC Tournament titles, picking up championships in 2012, 2014 and 2015. In addition to those three championships, the Bulldogs have collected six regular season SAC titles since the 2009 season. The 'Dogs are ranked 42nd nationally and eighth in the NCAA Southeast Region poll.

Wingate and Lincoln Memorial met in February, with the Bulldogs picking up a 6-3 road victory. Wingate swept doubles play in the match, winning all three doubles matches 8-5. The 'Dogs also picked up wins at number one, three and six singles to clinch the victory.

The Bulldogs had six players earn conference honors Wednesday afternoon, led by senior Filippo Pezzoli (Milan, Italy) who earned first team all-conference singles honors. The 2015 SAC Tournament MVP has played number one singles for the Bulldogs all year in 2017, posting an 11-8 record with an 8-3 mark against league opponents. The senior has collected 64 singles victories during his Wingate career.

Freshman Daniel Belsito (Charlotte, N.C.) is a second team all-conference honoree. He is 15-3 in singles play on the year, tied for the team lead in victories while playing all 18 matches at number two singles. Belsito is 8-2 in conference play this season. Junior Theo Dessacs (Toulouse, France) is also a second team All-SAC selection in his first season at Wingate. He is 14-5 on the season, picking up 12 victories at number three singles to go along with a win at number two and number one singles. Dessacs is 9-1 against SAC opponents on the year.

The doubles team of Belsito and Josh DuToit (Charlotte, N.C.) is 11-7 on the season, with all 18 matches coming at number one doubles. The duo has an 8-2 mark in league play on the year, earning first team All-SAC doubles honors. Juniors Amir Zari (Jerusalem, Israel) and Tyler Schofer (Graham, N.C.) are 12-4 on the season, going 11-4 at number two doubles and 1-0 at one doubles to earn second team all-conference honors. The duo has compiled a 10-1 record in league play on the year. Zari and Schofer rolled off an 11-match winning streak during the season.

DuToit has compiled a 12-5 record in singles play, with 11 victories coming at four singles. He is 8-1 against league opponents this year. Zari is 11-6 on the season, going 10-4 at number five singles while compiling a 6-4 record in league play. Junior Nicholas Oliveira (Sao Paulo, Brazil) is 15-4 on the year, with 10 of those victories coming at six singles. He is 10-1 in conference play. Dessacs and sophomore Duncan Addison (Halifax, Canada) have teamed up to go 14-5 in doubles play on the year, with 12 of those victories coming at number three doubles. The duo is 9-2 against league opponents.

LMU is in the SAC Tournament semifinals thanks to a 5-1 victory over Tusculum in Thursday's quarterfinals. The winner of the Wingate-LMU contest advances to the SAC championship match Saturday morning at 9 a.m.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Wingate University, consistently ranked as a top 10 "best value" in the South by U.S. News & World Report, serves more than 3,200 students on three campuses in Wingate, Charlotte and Hendersonville, N.C. Founded in 1896, the University offers 35 undergraduate majors, 35 minors, 12 career concentrations, nine pre-professional programs, master's degrees in accounting, business, education, physician assistant studies and sport management and doctorates in education, pharmacy and physical therapy.
 
With a 14 to 1 student/teacher ratio, Wingate students gain the tools and support needed to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. To view current news, video and story ideas, visit www.youtube.com/wingateuniversity. 
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past 10 years. For more information, go to www.wingate.edu.
 
Wingate is first among NCAA Division II Academic All-America®-producing colleges in the 2000's with 88 selections. Among North Carolina's colleges and universities, Wingate is number one in this millennium with 88 Academic All-America® honorees. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 97 lifetime Academic All-America® picks. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.