A strong performance by Pepperdine senior Stefan Menichella led the Waves to National Collegiate Tennis Classic singles and doubles titles during this weekend’s annual tournament.
The Santa Barbara native opened the Sunrise Country Club-hosted event with a 6-0, 6-4 singles win over Utah’s Egbert Waverink in the 32nd round, and a 7-6 (2), 6-4 win in the 16th round against San Francisco’s Ryan Marker.
Keeping with the momentum, Menichella took victories over Pepperdine’s own freshman Dane Esses in the quarterfinals and USF’s Johan Joenhagen in the semifinal. The senior snagged the singles title after defeating Utah’s David Micevski in the final match.
In doubles, Menichella was paired with sophomore and Toronto native Jack Van Slyke. The duo claimed big match wins before advancing to the final round, where they swept the doubles title from Utah’s Joe Woolley and Dan Little with a solid 6-4 win.