Men’s tennis overtakes Presbyterian College 7-0

The Liberty men’s tennis team showcased a remarkable display of skill Feb. 9, sweeping its match against Presbyterian College for a 7-0 victory at the Liberty Indoor Tennis Center. The home triumph came after a tough 6-1 loss last week to Princeton University on the road.

The Flames, now boasting a commendable 5-2 record, extend their home-match winning streak to five games to kick off the 2024 campaign. Sophomore Luis Felipe Miguel and freshman Matija Samardzic continued their reign of dominance on the court as Liberty’s dynamic duo, facing Blue Hose players Pedro Cardoso and Evgenios Vasilakis.

The Flames’ No. 3 doubles pair, Miguel and Samardzic, handed their opponents a 6-0 loss, maintaining their undefeated streak. 

Following suit, senior Deji Thomas-Smith and redshirt freshman Chase Robinson took the court, securing their doubles victory for the Flames as they clinched a 6-2 victory. 

With momentum soaring in its favor, Liberty wasted no time in the singles matches as it swiftly secured three consecutive victories, propelling the Flames to a commanding 4-0 lead. Thomas-Smith was a force to be reckoned with against his opponent Marco Foglieni in the No. 3 singles match, as he swiftly defeated Foglieni with a 6-1, 6-0 victory. 

Over on court two, Miguel took on Vasilakis. Miguel delivered a commanding performance as he defeated Vasilakis 6-1 in the first set and then secured his victory with a 6-3 win in the second set, bringing Liberty within striking distance of clinching the match. 

In the No. 5 singles match, Liberty’s Samardzic faced off against Cardoso. Samardzic defeated his opponent Cardoso with relative ease in the first set, clinching a 6-2 victory. However, the two would battle back and forth throughout the second set as Cardoso attempted to make a comeback. 

Ultimately, Samardzic came out on top, sealing the win with a score of 6-3 and claiming the match-clinching fourth point for the Flames. Even with the win the Flames kept the pressure on, as redshirt senior Thando Longwe-Smit defeated Denim Yadav in a 6-3, 6-3 victory. 

In a thrilling showdown on court one, senior Rafael Marques Da Silva was up against Javier Matos. In the first set, top seed Marques Da Silva struggled to find his rhythm, narrowly beating Matos 7-5. However, despite the challenge, he remained composed, dominated the second set and walked away with a 6-2 triumph.

To close out the night, Flames freshman Rodrigo Santiago Arraez continued to impress as he extended his unbeaten singles record to an impressive 5-0, igniting his young Liberty career with a blazing start. However, this victory would not come with ease. Arraez managed to cruise through his first set 6-0, but the second set was a different story. 

David Mamalat, Arraez’s opponent, tied the second set, not letting Arraez walk away without a fight. Despite this, Arraez continued to exhibit his composure and skill throughout the set, sending powerful shots and battling on. After much back and forth, Arraez would be triumphant, dealing the tiebreaker and defeating his opponent 7-6. 

“Our team competed hard together tonight,” Head Coach Derek Schwandt said following the victory. “We are excited to build on this tomorrow morning in practice and throughout the season.” 

The Flames look ahead to their next two matches against Penn State and Georgia State, which are both on the road. However, they will be back in action at the Liberty Indoor
Tennis Center Feb. 23 as they take on Dartmouth.    

Pais is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion