WU Advances to Quarterfinals For Fifth Time in School History

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St. Louis, Mo., May 4, 2008 – Top-seeded Washington University in St. Louis advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2008 NCAA Division III Men’s Tennis Championship with a 6-0 victory over No. 2 seed DePauw University on Sunday afternoon at the Tao Tennis Center in St. Louis, Mo.

This marks the fifth time in school history the Bears have advanced to the quarterfinals. Washington U. also made appearances in 1986, 2003, 2004 and 2007. Last year, WU lost to eventual national champion University of California-Santa Cruz.

Washington University (18-4) will take on sixth-ranked Gustavus Adolphus University at 6 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday, May 13, in the quarterfinals held at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine.

Freshman Isaac Stein and Max Woods continued consistent doubles play by winning 8-2 at No. 3 over Cameron Nash and Hunter Schouweiler to give Washington U. the early 1-0 lead. The win for Stein and Woods improved their overall record to 7-1.

Juniors Charlie Cutler and Chris Hoeland pushed the lead to 2-0 with an 8-5 win over No. 10 ranked Kortney Keith and Scott Swanson in battle of top-10 doubles team in Division III. Cutler and Hoeland, ranked third, improved their team-leading doubles record to 22-7.

The Bears finished the sweep in doubles as junior Nirmal Choradia and sophomore John Watts defeated Will Gates and Bryan Heck at No. 2, 8-5. Choradia was inserted into the Bears’ lineup for junior Trevis Bowman, after Bowman and Watts dropped an 8-5 decision to Grinnell on Saturday in the NCAA Second Round.

Woods rolled over Scott Sauer at No. 4 singles, 6-1, 6-0, for his 18th win of the season to make it 4-0.  Hoeland followed with a 6-1, 6-3, victory over Evan Hunter at No. 5, and then Stein defeated Will Gates at No. 6, 6-3, 6-2.

DePauw, which won its second-straight Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) title, finished its season with a 19-7 record.