Fourth-Ranked Lions Defeat No. 32 Mocs to Advance to SSC Semifinals
WINTER PARK, Fla. – The fourth-seeded Saint Leo men's tennis team took down fifth-seeded Florida Southern by a final tally of 5-1 on Thursday morning in the first round of the Sunshine State Conference Tennis Championships. The win advances the Lions, who are ranked fourth in the nation, to a mark of 18-4, while the No. 32-ranked Mocs drop to an overall record of 10-10.
The Lions went up 2-1 after doubles play, with Ismail Lemtouni and Fons Verberne defeating Carl Lundberg and Charles Garneau, 8-3 in the third flight. Matt Nicholson-Lewis and Victor Lozier followed with a 9-8 (7-5) win over Nathan Leavitt and Vladimir Barabash at the No. 2 position, while Bruno Sisti and Aloua Adjenak dropped at No. 1 doubles to Emanuel Lueber and Benoit Paradis in a hotly contested battle that ended 9-8 (11-9).
Saint Leo sealed the deal in singles, led by 40th-ranked Adjenak taking down Lueber, 6-0, 6-4 in the top seed. Nicholson-Lewis earned a 6-3, 7-5 win over Paradis at the No. 2 position to give Saint Leo a 4-1 lead, and Lozier sealed the deal at No. 4 singles with a 7-5, 7-5 win over Leavitt.
Lemtouni, Jacobo Gonzalez-Tarrio, and Verberne were all up in their respective flights at the conclusion of the match.
Saint Leo advances to the semifinal match, and will square off against the top-seeded, and No. 2 ranked Barry University Buccaneers on Friday morning at 9 a.m. on the Tiedtke Tennis Courts located on the campus of Rollins College.
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo men's tennis team, be sure to visit SaintLeoLions.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.
