Fresh off winning the South Atlantic Conference championship last Friday, the Tusculum College men's tennis team prepared for the upcoming Food Lion SAC Tournament with a 9-0 victory over King University Tuesday afternoon at the Nichols Tennis Complex.

The Pioneers (15-4) won their 12th straight match and posted their fifth shutout of the season by defeating the Tornado (11-9) in straight sets in five of the six singles contests.

In doubles action, brothers Lukas and Jonas Winkelmann posted a win at flight one by an 8-4 score over Rodrigo Avila and Pablo Vidal. Nicolas Planchard and John Taylor defeated Leo Brigato and Patrick Jones 8-3 at flight two, and Paul Wiederspahn and Joseph Elphingstone knocked off William Boyce and Rafael Francisco 8-1 at flight three.

In singles play, Planchard defeated Vidal 6-2, 6-0 at flight two for his 10th straight win and 15th in 16 matches this season. Shortly thereafter, Taylor downed Francisco 6-0, 6-3 at flight five to clinch the match for the Pioneers.

Jonas Winkelmann won 6-3, 6-0 at flight three over Brigato, Wiederspahn beat Jones 6-1, 6-3 at flight five and Daniel Gianopulos bested Boyce 6-1, 6-2 at flight six. At flight one, Lukas Winkelmann battled to a tiebreaker before dispatching of Avila 6-4, 2-6, (10-8). It was the 12th win in a row for the sophomore and improved his singles record to 17-1 this season.

The Pioneers are the second seed in the six-team SAC Tournament field and will await the winner of Thursday's first-round match between defending champion Wingate and Mars Hill. Friday's semifinal match will begin at 9 a.m. at the Rock Hill Tennis Center in Rock Hill, S.C.