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The Illini fell in the second round of the NCAA Doubles Championships Friday afternoon.
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May 28, 2010
ATHENS, Ga. - Despite rallying back to force a decisive third set, the 11th-ranked Illini tandem of senior Marek Czerwinski and sophomore Dennis Nevolo fell short Friday afternoon in the second round of the NCAA Doubles Championships at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex. Virginia's 14th-ranked duo of Drew Courtney and Michael Shabaz ended Illinois' run with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 victory. The Illini went ahead 1-0 in the third set, before the Cavaliers claimed two-straight games to take a 2-1 advantage and never looked back.
"I couldn't be more proud of the growth Marek has made these last two years," head coach Brad Dancer said. "I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to coach him and all that he stands for in terms of sportsmanship and being a competitor. It was a good day for Dennis and I was glad to see him take the steps forward to get to where he needs to be."
Czerwinski made a significant impact in just two seasons at Illinois and ended his collegiate career with a 46-15 mark in singles and 51-24 in doubles. He earned his first-career All-Big Ten honor this season, in addition to being named the team's co-Advantage Illinois Most Valuable Player along with junior Abe Souza. Czerwinski also is a two-time recipient of the Chris Martin Fighting Illini Spirit Award, and off the court, the Birmingham, Mich., native also has garnered Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Nevolo ended his sophomore campaign just one win shy of his career-best mark with 27 wins in singles, while setting a new career high in doubles with a team-best 31 victories on the year. The Gurnee, Ill., native secured All-Big Ten honors for the second straight year, along with his second consecutive bid into the NCAA Singles Championships.
