2008 Match Recaps
May 1, at Walsh (NAIA Region IX Tournament - Semifinals)
Walsh ended the Yellow Jackets' five-match winning streak with a 5-4 decision in the semifinals of the NAIA Region IX Tournament. The #2 seeded Cavaliers were the last team to beat #3 Cedarville and it was by the same 5-4 score back on April 11 also in North Canton. CU trailed 2-1 coming out of doubles. The #2 pairing of Brent Martin and Caleb Speicher pulled out a 9-8 victory. That left it up to singles and the two teams split the six points. The lone straight-set winner was #2 Dan Ballard, 7-6, 6-2. Cedarville's other points came from #5 Speicher, who rallied for a 3-6, 6-3, 10-5 win to up his season record to 16-1; and #6 Kyle DeBoer, who also required three sets for a 5-7, 6-4, 10-4 victory. Both teams are 10-7 overall. [RESULTS]
April 26, NOTRE DAME
Cedarville ended the regular season with its fifth consecutive win in a 7-2 decision over Notre Dame in an American Mideast Conference match played at the Johnson-Murdoch Tennis Complex. The Yellow Jackets, 10-6 overall and 3-2 AMC, broke out to a 3-0 lead after doubles. Kevin Furst and Dan Ballard paired up for an 8-4 win as the #1 duo. The other two teams lost just one game between them as #2 Brent Martin and Caleb Speicher (8-1) as well as #3 Derek Hostetter and Daniel Ormsby (8-0) cruised to easy wins. Cedarville claimed the bottom four singles matches all in straight sets. The victors were #3 Martin (6-0, 6-1), #4 Hostetter (7-6, 6-3), #5 Speicher (6-2, 6-1), and #6 Kyle DeBoer (6-1, 6-0). [RESULTS]
April 22, TIFFIN
Caleb Speicher won the deciding match to give the Yellow Jackets a 5-4 non-conference victory over Tiffin. Cedarville, 9-6 overall, has won four straight. The two teams had split the first eight points with Speicher's #4 singles match still on the court. The sophomore rallied for a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 decision to improve his season record to 14-1. The only other singles point was secured by #5 Kyle DeBoer, 6-4, 7-5. CU appeared to be well on its way to an easy victory after sweeping the doubles for a 3-0 lead. The winners were #1 Kevin Furst and Dan Ballard (8-6), #2 Brent Martin and Speicher (8-3), and #3 DeBoer and Kyle Kirby (8-3). [RESULTS]
April 18, at Roberts Wesleyan
Cedarville extended its winning streak to three straight with a 6-3 American Mideast Conference victory at Roberts Wesleyan. The Yellow Jackets, 8-6 overall and 2-2 AMC, led 2-1 after doubles. The #2 tandem of Brent Martin and Caleb Speicher netted an 8-4 decision while #3 Derek Hostetter and Kyle DeBoer cruised, 8-0. Those same four players produced the singles points all in straight sets. The results were #3 Martin, 6-3, 7-5; #4 Hostetter, 6-2, 6-0; #5 Speicher, 6-1, 6-0; and #6 DeBoer, 6-0, 6-0. [RESULTS]
April 15, at Asbury
The Yellow Jackets overwhelmed host Asbury, 9-0, in a non-conference match for their third win in the last four outings. Cedarville, 7-6 overall, won all but four games in doubles. The winning pairings were #1 Kevin Furst and Dan Ballard, #2 Brent Martin and Caleb Speicher, and #3 Kyle Kirby and Jeff Whitcomb. It was much of the same in singles with CU dropping just 10 games total. The line-up from top-to-bottom that won everything in straight sets featured Furst, Ballard, Martin, Derek Hostetter, Speicher, and Kyle DeBoer. [RESULTS]
April 12, at Bethel (Ind.)
Cedarville got back to the .500 mark on the season with a 7-2 win over Bethel in a non-conference match played indoors at the South Bend Racquet Club. The Yellow Jackets, 6-6 overall, recorded doubles wins by #2 Brent Martin and Caleb Speicher (9-7) as well as #3 Derek Hostetter and Kyle DeBoer (8-4). Cedarville locked down the match with five singles victories. Dan Ballard moved up to the #1 position for a 6-2, 6-3 win while Kevin Furst played at #2 for a match and posted a 6-4, 7-5 decision. Other points were tallied by #3 Martin (6-2, 3-6, 10-7), #5 Speicher (6-3, 6-1), and #6 DeBoer (3-6, 7-5, 12-10). [RESULTS]
April 11, at Walsh
Walsh slipped by Cedarville, 5-4, in an American Mideast Conference contest. The last three matches played by the Yellow Jackets, 5-6 overall and 1-2 AMC, have all been decided by 5-4 scores and they've had five in all this spring. The #3 doubles team of Derek Hostetter and Kyle DeBoer pulled out a 9-7 win. In singles, #2 Dan Ballard needed three sets to win 7-6, 6-7, 10-8 as did #5 Caleb Speicher, 7-5, 4-6, 10-3. DeBoer was a 6-4, 6-4 winner in the #6 position. [RESULTS]
April 8, OHIO DOMINICAN
The Yellow Jackets handed Ohio Dominican its first American Mideast Conference setback with a 5-4 victory against the Panthers at the Johnson-Murdoch Tennis Complex. Cedarville grabbed an early 2-1 lead after doubles. Brent Martin and Caleb Speicher rolled to an 8-3 win at the #2 spot while #3 Derek Hostetter and Kyle DeBoer hung on for a 9-7 decision. The middle of the singles line-up recorded the points to clinch the victory. Winning in straight sets were #3 Martin (6-3, 6-4) and #4 Hostetter (7-5, 6-3). Speicher rallied for the win at #5 singles, 1-6, 6-2, 6-3. [RESULTS]
April 7, at Malone
Cedarville opened the American Mideast Conference schedule by suffering a 5-4 setback at Malone. The Pioneers won two of the three doubles matches before the two squads split the six singles points. Brent Martin and Caleb Speicher tallied a 9-7 decision at #2 doubles. In singles, #3 Dan Ballard needed three sets for a 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 win as did #6 Kyle DeBoer, 6-4, 3-6, 10-3. The other singles victory came from #5 Speicher, 6-4, 6-2. [RESULTS]
April 5, at Wittenberg
Cedarville bounced back to knock off Wittenberg after winning just one of the three doubles matches. The lone point came from #3 Kyle Kirby and Zach Rost, 8-2. The Yellow Jackets swept singles matches #2 through #6 all in straight sets. The winners were #2 Dan Ballard, 6-3, 6-4; #3 Brent Martin, 7-6, 6-2; #4 Derek Hostetter, 6-0, 6-2; #5 Caleb Speicher, 6-1, 6-1; and #6 Kyle DeBoer, 6-2, 6-0. [RESULTS]
April 5, Wabash (at Wittenberg)
Wabash won a tough 6-3 contest over Cedarville in a non-conference match played at Wittenberg. Even though Wabash took a 3-0 lead after doubles play, the singles competition was extremely tight with five of the matches going three sets. CU's Derek Hostetter hung on for a 6-0, 4-6, 10-5 victory at the #4 spot and #6 Kyle DeBoer also went the limit for a 6-4, 3-6, 10-8 win. The only straight-set winner for either team was #5 Caleb Speicher 7-6, 6-4. [RESULTS]
April 4, INDIANA WESLEYAN (at Springfield Racquet Club)
Indiana Wesleyan won two-of-three doubles matches to post a 5-4 non-conference victory over the Yellow Jackets indoors at the Springfield Racquet Club. The two teams split the six singles matches. Cedarville earned points by #3 Brent Martin (6-3, 6-2), #5 Caleb Speicher (7-6, 6-2), and #6 Kyle DeBoer (6-3, 6-4). The Wildcats were the beneficiaries of a pair of three-set victories to keep the match all square. The only win in doubles for the Yellow Jackets came from #1 Kevin Furst and Dan Ballard, 8-3. Cedarville drops to 3-3 overall. [RESULTS]
March 29, HUNTINGTON
Huntington swept all three doubles matches to come up with a 6-3 non-conference victory over the Yellow Jackets at the Johnson-Murdoch Tennis Complex. The two teams opened with singles play and split the six matches. Cedarville picked up points by #2 Dan Ballard (0-6, 6-3, 6-4), #3 Brent Martin (6-3, 3-6, 7-6), and #5 Caleb Speicher (6-2, 6-0). There were four three-set matches in all. The visiting Foresters then claimed the match with wins at all three doubles positions. The Yellow Jackets drop to 3-2 overall. [RESULTS]
March 25, FINDLAY (at Springfield Racquet Club)
Cedarville improved to 3-1 on the season following a 7-2 non-conference victory over NCAA Division II Findlay in a match played indoors at the Springfield Racquet Club. The Yellow Jackets won two of the three doubles matches. Kevin Furst and Dan Ballard were 8-5 winners at the #1 spot while the #3 pairing of Derek Hostetter and Kyle DeBoer rolled to an 8-2 decision. CU garnered points in singles at positions #2 through #6. The winners were Ballard (6-3, 6-2), Brent Martin (7-6, 6-1), Hostetter (6-1, 6-0), DeBoer (6-2, 6-1), and Caleb Speicher (6-0, 6-0). It was the 50th career singles victory for Ballard. Findlay's overall record falls to 5-4. [RESULTS]
March 18, at Northern Kentucky
NCAA Division II Northern Kentucky handed the Yellow Jackets an 8-1 setback in non-conference action. The match was played indoors at the Beechmont Racquet Club. The lone point for Cedarville came from #2 singles player Dan Ballard. He needed to work overtime for a 7-6, 6-7, 10-8 decision. The Yellow Jackets, 2-1 overall, dropped the other five singles matches in straight sets. NKU swept the doubles with CU's best chance for a point at the #1 spot. Ballard and Kevin Furst went down to a 9-8 defeat. [RESULTS]
March 15, NORTHWESTERN OHIO (at Springfield Racquet Club)
Cedarville won the first-ever men's tennis meeting with Northwestern Ohio by an 8-1 count. The non-conference match was played indoors at the Springfield Racquet Club. The scores were closer than the final would indicate. The top two tandems of Kevin Furst and Dan Ballard as well as Brent Martin and Caleb Speicher won their respective doubles matches by identical 8-5 finals. The #3 pair of Derek Hostetter and Kyle DeBoer won 8-2. Martin rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 10-4 win at #3 singles while #5 DeBoer also needed three sets for a 6-2, 4-6, 10-6 decision. Straight-set victories came from #2 Ballard and #4 Hostetter with #6 Speicher an 8-1 victor under the pro set format. Furst dropped a three-set decision at #1 singles. [RESULTS]
March 6, at Erskine
Cedarville opened the 2008 men's tennis season by squeaking past Erskine, 5-4, in a non-conference match. The Yellow Jackets won two out of the three doubles matches. Kevin Furst and Dan Ballard teamed up for an 8-4 decision at the #1 position. The #2 tandem of Brent Martin and Caleb Speicher followed up with an 8-5 victory. CU split the six singles matches to secure the win. Furst was a straight-set winner at the #1 slot, 6-1, 6-4, while #3 Martin posted a 6-0, 7-6 victory. Caleb Speicher rallied for a 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 decision at #6 singles. [RESULTS]
