University, Brymer triumph in battles with CdM, Korber

NEWPORT BEACH - Prior to Thursday at Corona del Mar, University sophomore Gage Brymer hadn’t lost a set all season. But senior Shane Korber, CdM’s top singles player, also hadn’t dropped one.

Someone’s streak would end.

And when the two met on the Sea Kings’ court, the level of play wasn’t something commonly seen. Still, Brymer, a sophomore, dictated the pace by putting shot after shot in pinpointed positions, continuing his streak with a 6-1 win over Korber.

But that set, like most of the day for the Trojans, wasn’t just about the final score. While the team defeated CdM, 13-5, in the Pacific Coast League match, it sure wasn’t easy.

“We’ve been cruising through,” University boys tennis coach John Kessler said. “Then you get into a match like this, and guys get tight. Credit to them (CdM). That’s them making us tight.”

CdM (10-2, 3-1) turned up the pressure on the doubles courts, with No. 1 team Carter Wheatley and Alex Murray and No. 2 team Ismaen Aboubakare and Alec Adamson taking two sets each in the first two rounds of action.

“In doubles, they opened a window; you have to give them credit,” Kessler said. “They took us out of our game. I saw us missing shots we never miss. We were doing stuff we never do.

“That’s not on us. That’s a credit to them.”

While things were getting tense on the doubles side, University (10-0, 4-0) and Brymer, one of the top-ranked players nationally, were stabilizing things.

“Gage is just an absolute machine. I keep wondering when he’s going to break down, but that kid’s amazing," Kessler said. "He’s accurate, consistent and wears people down.

"The match he had with Shane (Korber) looked like it was 3-3 because of how many balls they were hitting at one another. Then you look up, and it’s 6-1.”

Brymer looked incredibly comfortable playing from the baseline, forcing his opponents to run from alley to alley while he picked his spots on his way to three points for University.

“I think it’s a big strength to be able to consistently hit the ball all over the court and not keep it in one spot,” Brymer said. “If you can high-quality balls all over the place, you should feel pretty solidly about it.”

Stefan Menichella, University’s No. 2 singles, also won all three matches.