SUMTER, S.C. --- Tusculum University earned a 4-0 sweep of Lenoir-Rhyne University in the quarterfinals of the South Atlantic Conference Men's Tennis Championship tournament Thursday afternoon at the Palmetto Tennis Center.

The second-seeded Pioneers (16-5) took doubles from the seventh-seeded Bears (8-15), then won the first three completed singles matches to advance to the semifinals on Friday at 2 p.m. against third-seeded Carson-Newman, which defeated Lincoln Memorial 4-0 in their quarterfinal match.

Tusculum, which defeated Lenoir-Rhyne in the SAC quarterfinals for the second straight season, entered the tournament ranked 26th in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division II National Team Rankings, and ninth in the NCAA Division II Southeast Region rankings.

The Pioneers won the doubles point as Kenta Kondou and Nathan Matsuguma shut out Mauricio Hernandez and Rufus Plane 6-0 at flight two, followed by a 6-2 win by Nemanja Subanovic and Marco Jalalian at flight one over Zachary Cox and Vadym Rogynskyi.

In singles, Kondou picked up his 50th singles victory at Tusculum and gave the Pioneers a 2-0 lead as he swept past Patrik Alvestrand 6-1, 6-0 at flight three. Rhodri Atkinson earned a 6-2, 6-2 win over Rogynskyi at flight two to put the Pioneers one point from victory, which was earned by Frank Bonacia who beat Plane 6-2, 6-2 at flight four.

Tusculum has advanced to the SAC semifinals for the third straight year and will take the court at 2 p.m. Friday against 42nd-ranked Carson-Newman. The winner will take on the winner of the other semifinal between Wingate and Limestone in the SAC championship match on Saturday at 1 p.m.