LEXINGTON, S.C. - Gardner-Webb men's tennis defended its crown on Saturday afternoon, defeating No. 3 Longwood 4–2 in the Big South Tournament final at the Lexington County Tennis Complex.
The Lancers struck first by claiming the doubles point, taking wins on courts two and three. The duo of Graham Bourne and Johan Van Wijk provided the highlight for the Runnin' Bulldogs in doubles, earning a 6–3 victory at No. 1, but Longwood secured the early 1–0 advantage.
Gardner-Webb quickly responded in singles play and took control of the match with four victories across the lineup. Graham Bourne evened the match at 1–1 with a convincing 6–4, 6–1 win over Petter Lindquist at No. 5 singles. Kaua Cressoni followed with a straight-set victory of his own, defeating Daniel Lopez 6–3, 6–4 at the No. 4 position to give the Bulldogs their first lead of the afternoon.
Adam Patry extended the Gardner-Webb advantage with a hard-fought performance at No. 6 singles. After splitting the first two sets, Patry dominated the decider to defeat Alejandro Uribe 6–1, 1–6, 6–0 and move the Bulldogs within one point of clinching the match.
Johan Van Wijk sealed the team victory with a dramatic three-set battle at No. 3 singles. After taking the opening set 6–4 and dropping the second, Van Wijk rallied late in the third to secure a 6–4, 3–6, 7–5 win over Rufus Plane, clinching the 4–2 triumph for Gardner-Webb. Noah Zeiger also pushed his match to three sets at No. 2 singles before falling 6–3, 5–7, 7–5, while the match at No. 1 singles featuring Alexandre Bergeron remained unfinished when the Bulldogs clinched the dual.