Pioneers claim SAC Championship with 4-1 win over Anderson

Anderson

Tusculum

Doubles

Nemanja Subanovic / Frank Bonacia (TU)
def. Juan Cruz Moncado / Thomas Pudney (AU)

7-6 (7-5)

Leon Huck / Dmitry Bezborodov (TU)
def. Aaron Cabo / Jeffrey Dayton (AU)

7-5

Adam Kush / Tommy Smalley (AU)
def. Jacco Mensinga / Manuel Almeida (TU)

6-2

Singles

Dmitry Bezborodov (TU)
def. Juan Cruz Moncado (AU)

FINAL - UNFINISHED

Adam Kush (AU)
def. Nemanja Subanovic (TU)

6-2, 7-5

Frank Bonacia (TU)
def. Thomas Pudney (AU)

FINAL - UNFINISHED

Leon Huck (TU)
def. Aaron Cabo (AU)

6-3, 6-1

Manuel Almeida (TU)
def. Spencer Snow (AU)

6-3, 6-2

Vadzim Raitsou (TU)
def. Tommy Smalley (AU)

6-4, 6-1

full stats

Pioneers claim SAC Championship with 4-1 win over Anderson

Posted: Apr 17, 2021

SUMTER, S.C. --- Tusculum University won its first South Atlantic Conference Men's Tennis Championship tournament title since 2008 with a 4-1 victory over Anderson University Saturday afternoon at the Palmetto Tennis Center.

The third-seeded Pioneers (17-3) won their eighth consecutive match and third in three days to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Tusculum will be making its first NCAA appearance since the 2008 season and the sixth in program history. The Trojans (12-4) were seeded fifth in the tournament field but upset top-seeded Wingate 4-3 to reach the finals.

Junior Vadzim Raitsou was selected SAC Championship Most Valuable Player after going 3-0 in singles from the number six position in the Tusculum lineup during the tournament, including a straight-set win in the championship match. Tusculum's SAC tournament championship is the third in program history, joining the 2002 and 2008 teams.

WATCH: The clinching point from @TusculumTennis SAC Men's Championship win against Anderson courtesy of Leon Huck at No. 4 singles for the Pioneers! #WeArePioneers #PioneerUP pic.twitter.com/oiwhMyMIbO
— Tusculum Pioneers (@TusculumSports) April 17, 2021

Tusculum outlasted Anderson to win two of the three doubles matches and earn the first point of the afternoon. At number-two doubles, Leon Huck and Dmitry Bezborodov came back from 4-5 to win their set 7-5 over Aaron Cabo and Jeffrey Dayton and make the first flight the decider. At number one, the Pioneers' Nemanja Subanovic and Frank Bonacia went to a tiebreaker with the Trojans' Juan Cruz Moncado and Thomas Pudney, winning the tiebreak 7-5 and the set 7-6 to give Tusculum a 1-0 match lead.

In singles, Raitsou pushed the Pioneers up 2-0 with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Tommy Smalley at flight six, but the Trojans cut into the lead as Adam Kush beat Subanovic 6-2, 7-5 to leave Tusculum ahead 2-1. Manuel Guedes de Almeida brought the Pioneers to the cusp of victory as he beat Spencer Snow 6-3, 6-2 at flight five. Huck then closed out Cabo 6-3, 6-1 for his 14th straight win and the conference championship.

Tusculum will participate in the NCAA Division II Southeast Region tournament, which will be held May 7-9 at the University of North Georgia.