Samford 5, UNCG 2
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University men's tennis team opened its 2015 Southern Conference schedule with a 5-2 victory against the UNCG Spartans in an early-league contest held at the Samford Tennis Center.
With its victory, Samford (6-6, 1-0 SoCon) improved to 4-3 at home this season and tallied its sixth win in its last eight outings. The Bulldogs started the year with an 0-4 record, but have since outscored their opponents 36-16.
Samford dropped the doubles point against UNCG (4-6, 0-2 SoCon) and fell behind early 1-0.
In singles play, Samford started its rally with a momentous 6-4, 6-4 win from Trey Carter on court No. 3. The Bulldogs' junior native of Birmingham proved to be one of four Samford players to earn straight-set victories.
Against UNCG on Friday, the Bulldogs' Justin Ghavami, Eduardo Lourido Sanchez and Jake Faundez also notched straight-set triumphs. Ghavami, the reigning SoCon Player of the Week, clinched the match at No. 4 singles with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over the Spartans' Cameron Smith.
On court No. 2, Samford senior Austin Akers registered a thrilling, three-set triumph over UNCG's Daniel Mack, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. With his win, Akers improved to 6-5 on the season.
USF 4, Furman 0
TAMPA, Fla. – No. 20 USF blanked Furman, 4-0, Friday in the opening match of the USF Spring Break Tournament at the USF Varsity Tennis Courts in Tampa, Fla.
The Bulls pulled out a tiebreaker win at flight one doubles to clinch the doubles point, as Oliver Pramming and Justin Roberts teamed up to beat juniors Matt Browne and Ben Horst, 7-6(4). Roberto Cid and Ignacio Gonzalez-Muniz posted a 6-2 victory over senior Jacob Behal and sophomore Juan Sheppard at flight two, but sophomore Adam Steryous and freshman Cameron Green evened the slate with a 6-4 win against Sasha Gozun and Vadym Kalyuzhnyy at number two to set up the decisive top-flighted contest.
Gonzalez-Muniz defeated Green, 6-2, 6-0, at flight three singles to stretch the lead to 2-0, then Kalyuzhnyy posted a 6-1, 6-4 win over Behal at number five. Roberts clinched the team win after beating Sheppard, 6-4, 6-4, at flight six.
Matches at flights one, two, and four were unfinished. Cid led Steryous, 6-3, 5-2, at flight one, and Gozun held a 6-7(5), 6-2, 1-0 advantage over Browne at number two when play was suspended. At flight four, Pramming won the first set, 6-4, but Horst held a 4-3 advantage in the second set.
Furman (2-12) will face the loser of today’s UNF/Tulane contest tomorrow at 10 a.m. in the tournament’s semi-finals.