Lions Ledger: Tennis Hosts Eckerd Tuesday

Mar 16, 2021

RECORDS Saint Leo 0-0, 0-0 SSC | Eckerd 0-2, 0-2 SSC
The No. 3 Saint Leo Lions looks to open the 2021 season against Eckerd after a pair of matches were postponed. The deep 17-man roster is stacked with graduate student, Willem van den Akker, five championship caliber seniors, five impact juniors, including 2019 ITA All-American Bruno Faletto, three sophomores, and a trio of freshmen.
In 2020, senior Alexander Parker led the Lions seeing action in first and second singles. Parker put together an 8-2 singles mark and earned a 7-4 record in doubles action. Parker is joined by fifth singles senior Kayne Trustfull who registered a 10-1 singles record last season, closing the season on a win streak of eight. Nicolas Bacella enters his junior year after a 5-2 season in singles. Bacella earned a second singles 4-2 mark and 1-0 in the third spot.
Saint Leo went 17-14 (.548) in doubles action last year. Parker and Trustfull recorded a 5-1 second doubles record while Leo Vega and Bacella were perfect going 5-0 in third doubles.
Eckerd opened the year dropping a pair of matches after facing No. 11 Florida Southern (5-2) and Embry-Riddle (6-1). First singles Pierre Lasslle and second singles Prakrut Patel each hold a 1-1 singles record. Together, they are 2-0 in first doubles.
HISTORY Saint Leo hasn't dropped a match to Eckerd since April 9, 2010. Since then, the Lions hold a 12-match streak over the Tritons.

RECORDS Saint Leo 0-1, 0-1 SSC | Eckerd 0-2, 0-2 SSC
The No. 9 Saint Leo Lions are on the hunt for its first victory of 2021. The Lions fell in their season home opener to No. 3 Nova Southeastern, 5-2.
Saint Leo battled straight into five tiebreaker sets against Nova Southeastern. The Lions took the first and fifth singles matches in Molly Helgesson and Celina Ermann. Helgesson, at first singles, topped her opponent in a first set tiebreaker, 7-6 (4), and rolled through her second set, 6-3. Ermann took the long way home clinching a 14-12 first set tiebreaker. The Nuremberg, Germany product didn't mess around in set two, registering a 6-3 decision.
Eckerd is also in search of its first win of the shortened year. The Tritons dropped their first two matches to No. 18 Florida Southern, 7-0, and Embry-Riddle, 7-0.
HISTORY Saint Leo hasn't given up a match to Eckerd in recent history. The Lions' streak goes beyond the 2006 season and has continued under the direction of head coach Chad Berryhill.