May 9, 2008

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Competing in its first NCAA Men's Tournament, Xavier was defeated by No. 15 Illinois, 4-0, on the campus of Illinois in opening round action.

Xavier (16-9) lost the doubles point after the second-flight duo of sophomores Ra'ees Ismail and J.T. Torbeck were blanked, 8-0, while sophomore Anthony Palmenter and freshman Brian Starr were defeated in the third flight, 8-1. Junior Doug Matthews, the 2008 A-10 Most Outstanding Player, teamed with sophomore Chris Herrlinger in a first-flight match that did not finish.

Matthews did not finish his first-flight singles match against No. 21 Ryan Rowe, neither did Herrlinger against No. 42 Ruben Gonzales or junior Mike Dieciuc in the sixth-flight.

Ismail, a two-time A-10 Player of the Week, was downed 6-0, 6-0, before Torbeck fell 6-1, 6-0. Senior Brian Schubert's 6-2, 6-2 loss in the third-flight clinched the match for Illinois, improving its record to 19-8.

Ismail ends the season with a singles record of 25-12, which leads the Musketeers in 2007-08.