Kingsmen Finish Runner-up at Nationals

Strong showing at national level

Friday, Oct. 14, 2011 10:00 pm

Nicholas Ballou (pictured) and Ray Worley represented the West region at the national stage.
Credit: Scott Chisholm Hi-res image

Release by Scott Chisholm (CLU Sports Information)

MOBILE, Ala. - The Cal Lutheran men's doubles team of Nicholas Ballou and Ray Worley advanced to the finals of the United States/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (USTA/ITA) Small College Division III Doubles Championships at the Copeland-Cox Tennis Center on Friday.

Website: USTA/ITA National Championships

Ballou and Worley faced Richard Meyer and Bryan Chow from Williams College in the finals on Friday afternoon.

"The CLU pairing picked up its level of play late in the first set to take it 7-6 (2) in a tiebreak. Although the Cal Lutheran tandem was clearly fired up, Chow and Meyer did not wilt and found a way to steal the second set 6-4. After the two teams traded breaks early in the third, the Williams pair claimed a break late in the set and pulled away for the win 6-3," reported on-site tournament media coordinator Nick Snow.

Ballou and Worley appeared in the final match after cruising through the semifinals. A 6-0, 6-3 victory over Eric Shulman and Matt King of Christopher Newport University put the Kingsmen in position to win the program's first national title since 1997.

"The guys stepped up big time today," praised CLU Head Coach Mike Gennette. "They came out of the shoot winning the first eight games...When it got close near the end Ray and Nicholas were playing too big to let it slip away," in regards to the semifinal victory over Shulman and King.