UMBC

Philadelphia, Pa.--Senior Chris Meyer (New Market, Md./Urbana) and junior Mwali Phiri (Yonkers, N.Y.) swept their matches to highlight UMBC men’s tennis debut of the 2009-10 season at the St. Joseph’s Invitational.  The final day of competition on Sunday was postponed due to rain.

Meyer won three singles matches in Flight 1 and was to play Maryland’s Ryan Lissner in the finals before all matches were postponed. He defeated Jeff Kessler of the host Hawks, 6-1, 6-2 and Ian Mansfield of Maryland, 6-1, 6-2 before edging Penn’s Zach Gorn in three sets, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2.

Phiri, who transferred to UMBC from Texas’ Tyler Junior College, defeated St. Joseph’s Michael Stauble, 6-4, 6-1 and Drexel’s Alessandro Bozzo, 6-2, 6-3 in Flight 3 singles.

The duo combined at Flight 1 singles for identical 8-4 wins over pairs from Drexel and Maryland to advance to the  semifinals.  UMBC’s other Flight 1 doubles squad of senior Fredi Voorman (Talinn, Estonia) and sophomore Allen Tsang (Wellesley, Mass.) won their first two matches and could have met Meyer and Phiri in the finals.