September 26, 2004
Epkeys advance ITA Championship round
USI Players advancing for the first time
Complete Bracket
MIDLAND, MI For the first time in the history of the University of Southern Indiana tennis program, the Screaming Eagles have players advancing to the ITA National Championships.
USI sophomore Joe Epkey and freshman Jarrod Epkey, brothers from Greenwood, Indiana, advance to the championship round after winning the ITA Great Lakes Championship in Midland, Michigan. The ITA National Championships will be in Ft. Meyers, Florida, on October 14-17.
The Epkeys, the number one seed of the regional tournament, defeated teammates Ryan Hughes(England), a junior, and Nim Shetty (India), a senior, for the championship, 8-2, Sunday afternoon.
The loss for Hughes and Shetty was their first to a seeded opponent in the regional. The pair had to defeat the sixth, the second, and the third seed for the right to play the Epkey’s in the championship match.
Joe Epkey also advances as a singles player, winning the regional championship by defeating the University of Indianapolis’ Ross Johnson in three sets. Epkey, who was the number three seed, lost the first set to the second seeded Johnson, 3-6, but bounced back to the second set, 7-5, and the tie-breaker 10-4.
To get to the championship match Sunday morning, Epkey had to defeat top-seeded Jason Cole of Ferris State University. Epkey won in straight sets, 6-4 and 6-0.
Ray Simmons, USI Sports Information
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