Tulane University
Notre Dame (NCAA)
![Sophomore Jacobo Hernandez clinched Tulane's NCAA First Round victory on Saturday against Notre Dame. [File photo by Ned Dishman]](https://images.sidearmdev.com/resize?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Ftulanegreenwave.com%2Fimages%2F2004%2F5%2F15%2Fa-hernandez040704.jpg&height=300&type=webp)
Wave Men Advance to NCAA Regional Tennis Final
May 15, 2004 | Men's Tennis
May 15, 2004
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Tulane University used a 4-0 victory over Notre Dame on Saturday afternoon at Harvard's Beren Tennis Center to advance to the NCAA Men's Tennis Regional Championship. The Green Wave will play the winner of the Harvard-Quinnipiac match (Saturday, noon) on Sunday at noon.
Tulane, ranked No. 19 in the country, improves to 19-4 on the year. Notre Dame, which holds the No. 30 ranking, drops to 15-9. The Green Wave has now won 10 straight matches and 15 of their last 16.
The Wave opened the match by clinching the doubles point, then its top three winners in the regular season - Michael Kogan, Dmitriy Koch and Jacobo Hernandez - all won in straight sets in singles to wrap up the victory.
"I would have been shocked if we came out and played lights out," Tulane coach Robert Klein said. "We have not played a dual-match in 27 days."
Tulane's last match was the Conference USA Championship, when it defeated TCU, 4-1, on April 18th.
"We played very well, but we were forced to," Klein said. "Notre Dame is a great squad with a lot of tradition and pride. Anytime you beat a premier team, you have to feel good."
The Green Wave now has 13 victories over ranked opponents this season. Harvard is ranked No. 21, while Quinnipiac is unranked.
Saturday's action opened with the Wave winning at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles to clinch the point. Hernandez and Alberto Sottocorno had an 8-3 win at No. 3, while the point was clinched when Ted Angelinos hammered a return to lift he and Koch to an 8-3 victory at No. 2.
Kogan, who is ranked No. 11 in the nation in singles, dominated his No. 1 singles matches against 70th-ranked Luis Haddock, winning, 6-3, 6-3, for a 2-0 Green Wave lead.
Koch and Hernandez both jumped out to quick leads at No. 2 and No. 5 singles, respectively. However, Notre Dame battled back, fighting off multiple match points. Koch eventually won, 6-2, 6-4, for a 3-0 advantage. Hernandez, meanwhile, battled cramping, taking an injury timeout before reaching deuce in his final game. He followed with a powerful forehand winner and then a soft drop shot just over the net and out of the reach of a diving Barry King to clinch the victory.
"I was getting pumped," Hernandez said. "I knew we needed that point. I needed (the injury timeout) to recover a little bit, but I came back with my serve. I wanted to get that point for my teammates."
Hernandez has now won 14 consecutive singles matches. Kogan also has an impressive win streak, having won 11 straight matches.
No. 19 Tulane 4, No. 30 Notre Dame 0
Doubles:
1) #35 Kogan/Goulet (TU) v. Haddock/Scott (ND): 5-6, Did not finish
2) Koch/Angelinos (TU) def. D'Amico/Lang (ND): 8-3
3) Hernandez/Sottocorno (TU) def. Paul Hidaka/Ryan Keckley (ND): 8-3
Singles:
1) #11 Michael Kogan (TU) def. #70 Luis Haddock (ND): 6-3, 6-3
2) #46 Dmitriy Koch (TU) def. Matthew Scott (ND): 6-2, 6-4
3) Ted Angelinos (TU) v. Stephen Bass (ND): 5-7, 6-2, 0-1, Did not finish
4) David Goulet (TU) v. Brent D'Amico (ND): 6-2, 1-6, 2-4, Did not finish
5) Jacobo Hernandez (TU) def. Barry King (ND): 6-4, 6-4
6) Alberto Sottocorno (TU) v. Eric Langenkamp (ND): 5-7, 4-2, Did not finish
