Virginia Tech Defeats Clemson 4-3

April 17, 2008

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, FL–Virginia Tech’s Sebastian Jacques defeated Kevin Fleck at number five singles 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in clinching the match and leading the Hokies to a 4-3 win over Clemson in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference men’s tennis tournament at Altamonte Springs, FL Thursday afternoon.

With the win, Virginia Tech improves to 15-7 overall, while Clemson finishes the 2008 season with a 15-20 record overall.

Clemson won the doubles point as Clemson’s doubles team of Fleck and Carlos Alvarez defeated Nicolas Delgado De Robles and Albert Larregola at number two doubles 8-5. The Tigers’ Ike Belk and Rok Bizjak won at number one doubles over Brandon Corace and Pedro Graber 9-8.

Clemson took a 2-0 lead when Alvarez defeated Larregola at number one singles 6-0, 6-1. De Robles of Virginia Tech defeated Belk 6-1, 6-1 at number two singles. Clemson took a 3-1 lead when Gera Borachinskiy defeated Graber at number four singles 6-2, 6-3.

Virginia Tech came fighting back. Corace defeated Derek DiFazio 6-4, 6-4 at number six singles 6-4, 6-4 to narrow the lead 3-2.

The Hokes tied the match (3-3) at number three singles as Yoanne Re defeated Bizjak at number three singles 6-3, 7-5.

Jacques defeated Fleck at number five singles to claim the victory for the Hokies.

This contest marked the last match for Clemson Head Coach Chuck Kriese, who is finishing his 33rd year as the head mentor of the Tigers. Kriese is retiring later this summer. He finishes his Clemson career with a 685-419 career record in 33 years at Clemson. That career figure makes him the fifth winningest active Division I Coach in the United States. He is also the all-time winningest coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference for total wins (685) and league victories (166).

The 33 years is the longest tenure by a head tennis coach in the history of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Doyle Royal was at Maryland for 27 years during the 1954-80 era. It is also the second longest tenure in Clemson history regardless of sport. Former baseball coach Bill Wilhelm spent 36 years at Clemson (1958-93). Kriese passed former football coach Frank Howard. Howard coached for 30 years (1940-69).

Clemson is one of the top teams nationally as far as appearances in the NCAA team tournament. Under Kriese, the Tigers went to 11 straight NCAA team tournaments between the years of 1979 and 1989, the second longest streak of NCAA tournament appearances in Clemson team sports history. In the 24 total appearances, Clemson has a 16-24 overall record. Clemson has reached the Final Sixteen 12 times, and the Final Eight seven times, including 2004. Clemson had seven straight top 10 finishes from 1980-86, third for the longest streak of top 10s in school history regardless of sport.

Under Head Coach Chuck Kriese, the Tigers have been to more NCAA team tournaments than any other ACC school.

Clemson won seven straight ACC men’s tennis titles during the 1983-1989 era. Clemson Head Coach Chuck Kriese has led the Tigers to 10 ACC championships and three runner-up finishes since his arrival at Clemson in 1976. Clemson won every ACC Title in the 1980s except 1982 or nine of the 10 contested in that decade. In the history of the ACC tournament, Clemson has won 11 ACC championships. The 1969 championship is the only Tiger title recorded without Chuck Kriese at the helm.

Clemson Head Men’s Tennis Coach Chuck Kriese has been National Coach-of-the-Year three times. In 1981 and 1986, he was named the USPTA’s National Coach-of-the-Year. In 1981, he was named Coach-of-the-Year by the ITA, the first time a Clemson head coach had won national coach-of-the-year honors in any sport. In February, 2008, he was named the National College Coach of the Year by the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR).

Kriese has been named Coach-of-the-Year in the South five times and in the ACC six times. (1980, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1997).

Over the years, 20 Tigers have won 34 All-America honors. A total of 39 Tigers have won 52 ACC individual flights under Kriese.

Virginia Tech 4, Clemson 3 Singles 1. Carlos Alvarez (CU) d. Albert Larregola (VT) 6-0, 6-1 2. Nicolas Delgado De Robles (VT) d. Ike Belk (CU) 6-1, 6-1 3. Yoann Re (VT) d. Rok Bizjak (CU) 6-3, 7-5 4. Gera Boryachinskiy (CU) d. Pedro Graber (VT) 6-2, 6-3 5. Sebastian Jacques (VT) d. Kevin Fleck (CU) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 6. Brandon Corace (VT) d. Derek DiFazio (CU) 6-4, 6-4 Order of finish: 1, 2, 4, 6, 3, 5*

Doubles Doubles 1. Belk/Bizjak (CU) d. Corace/Graber (VT) 9-8 2. Fleck/Alvarez (CU) d. Larregola/De Robles (VT) 8-5 3. Re/Jacques (VT) d. Boryachinskiy/Difazio (CU) 8-4 Order of finish: 3, 1, 2*