2017-18 PBC Yearbook 1718yearbook | Page 67

2017-18 PBC YEARBOOK Men’s Tennis COLUMBUS STATE CLAIMS PBC MEN’S TENNIS TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP FLORENCE, SC – Following a dominant performance in doubles, the top-seeded Columbus State Cougars defeated second-seeded Lander 5-0 to win the 2018 PBC men’s tennis tournament on Sunday in Florence. The tournament title is the second straight for the Cougars and third in the last five years. Ranked #3 in the nation by the ITA, the Cougars improve to 21-3 overall on the season. Lander, ranked #4 in the nation, falls to 20-2 overall, both losses coming to CSU. The Cougars jumped out early in doubles. The #2 doubles team of KP Pannu and Matei Avram blitzed Lander’s Eirik Groner and Ozan Cildir 8-1. CSU’s #1 team of Zach Whaanga and Alvaro Regalado then beat Lander’s Alexander Regner and David Korsten 8-3 and the sweep was completed at #3 as Jorge Vargas and Arnold Kokulewski beat LU’s Phillipe Courteau and Gabriel Couto 8-4. The Cougars needed only add two points from the six subsequent singles matches and found them at #1 and #5. In the fifth spot, Avram took down Regner 6-2, 6-1. Pannu finished the championship at #1 singles with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Groner. Whaanga and Regalaldo, the ninth-ranked doubles team in the country, were named the tournament doubles MVPs. The duo went a combined 3-0 at #1 doubles over the weekend. KP Pannu, the 2018 PBC Player of the Year and #2-ranked singles player in the nation, was named the singles MVP. Pannu was 2-0 at the top spot in CSU’s three matches at the tournament. * - Coverage of CSU’s National Championship can be found on page 12 67