Pioneers move to SAC semifinals with 4-1 win over Lenoir-Rhyne

Tusculum

Lenoir-Rhyne

Doubles

Rhodri Atkinson / Josh Lazenby (LRMTEN)
def. Nemanja Subanovic / Marco Jalalian (TU)

6-4

Kenta Kondou / Frank Bonacia (TU)
def. Zachary Cox / Mauricio Hernandez (LRMTEN)

6-4

Vadzim Raitsou / Robin Eldin (TU)
def. Lewis Scott / Patrik Alvestrand (LRMTEN)

6-0

Singles

Rhodri Atkinson (LRMTEN)
def. Frank Bonacia (TU)

FINAL - UNFINISHED

Josh Lazenby (LRMTEN)
def. Robin Eldin (TU)

FINAL - UNFINISHED

Nemanja Subanovic (TU)
def. Lewis Scott (LRMTEN)

6-0, 6-1

Kenta Kondou (TU)
def. Joel Hemmings (LRMTEN)

6-4, 6-1

Zachary Cox (LRMTEN)
def. Nathan Matsuguma (TU)

6-2, 6-3

Vadzim Raitsou (TU)
def. Mauricio Hernandez (LRMTEN)

6-4, 6-3

full stats

Pioneers move to SAC semifinals with 4-1 win over Lenoir-Rhyne

Posted: Apr 21, 2022

SUMTER, S.C. --- Tusculum University avenged a regular-season loss to Lenoir-Rhyne University with a 4-1 victory in the quarterfinals of the South Atlantic Conference Men's Tennis Championship tournament Thursday afternoon at the Palmetto Tennis Center.

The 33rd-ranked Pioneers (13-7), who were seeded fifth in the bracket, won the doubles point and three of the first four singles matches to beat the 32nd-ranked Bears (13-8), who were the fourth seed in the tournament. Lenoir-Rhyne earned the seed over Tusculum with a 6-1 victory over the Pioneers on April 4, but Tusculum has won four in a row since that loss which includes Thursday's triumph over the Bears.

With the win, Tusculum advances to play top-seeded Queens in the semifinals on Friday at 9 a.m. Tusculum, the defending tournament champion, beat Queens 4-3 in last year's semifinals en route to its first title since 2008.

In doubles, Tusculum won quickly at flight three as Vadzim Raitsou and Robin Eldin defeated Lewis Scott and Patrik Alvestrand 6-0. The Bears would earn a win at flight one as Rhodri Atkinson and Josh Lazenby beat Nemanja Subanovic and Marco Jalalian 6-4, but the Pioneers clinched the team point at flight two as Kenta Kondou and Frank Bonacia defeated Zachary Cox and Mauricio Hernandez 6-4.

Tusculum went up 2-0 as Subanovic beat Scott 6-0, 6-1 at flight three, but Cox got the Bears on the board with a 6-2, 6-3 victory at flight five over Nathan Matsuguma. Raitsou stretched the Pioneer lead to 3-1 with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Hernandez at flight six, and Kondou clinched the victory as he beat Joel Hemmings 6-4, 6-1 at flight four. The remaining two singles matches were abandoned while tied at one set apiece.

Queens advanced to Friday's semifinals with a 4-0 victory over Limestone, and the other semifinal will be between second-seeded Anderson and third-seeded Wingate. The Trojans defeated Lincoln Memorial 4-1 and the Bulldogs shut out Carson-Newman by a 4-0 score. Friday's winners will meet Saturday for the championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament.