Box Score LIVINGSTON, Ala. – In a match that started an hour late due to the weather and had two rain stoppages of almost two hours in length, the Lee University men's tennis team lost 5-3 to No. 38 University of West Alabama. The Gulf South Conference (GSC) match took 7 ½ hours to complete with the delays.
It was the second match in row that the Flames (4-3, 1-2 GSC) lost to a ranked GSC opponent. Lee lost 8-1 at No. 4 West Florida on Saturday.
West Alabama (3-1, 1-1 GSC) carried a 3-0 lead after the tightly contested doubles matches. Eirik Groner and Jakes Okines lost 8-3 to Caspar Schuetze and Henrik Sinkko at No. 1 doubles. At No. 2 doubles, Rhys Milne and Boyd Blackburn were edged 8-6 by Christopher Wood and Julius Kaverinen. Karl Hulten and Charles Jabaley were outlasted by UWA's No. 3 doubles team of Andrii Stratiienko and Nicolai Jochamowitz, 9-7.
"I'm proud of our effort today," said Lee head coach Patric Hynes. "Our guys came out and put themselves in a position to win doubles. We just needed to hold our nerve a little longer. UWA did a good job hanging tough and coming back from breaks down at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles."
Schuetze defeated Okines 6-1, 6-2 to pull the Tigers to within one point of claiming the team victory. The celebration remained on hold as Milne beat Wood 6-3, 6-2 and Groner held off Kaverinen 6-2, 7-8 (10-8).
Stratiienko finally gave UWA the fifth point needed for the team win with a hard-fought 6-4, 6-4 win over Hulten. Blackburn's match with Jochamowitz was left unfinished in the third set.
"We did a great job coming back after the doubles and setting a good tone in singles. Great wins by Rhys and Eirik. It was a long, tough day with several rain delays and we stood up all day. They are a top 40 program and we were five good minutes from knocking them over," added Hynes.
The Flames host Delta State University on Friday at the DeVos Tennis Center. The GSC matchup is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. EST.
#38 West Alabama 5, Lee University 3Singles 1. Eirik Groner (LEE) def. Julius Kaverinen (UWA-M) 6-2, 7-6 (10-8)
2. Caspar Schuetze (UWA-M) def. Jake Okines (LEE) 6-1, 6-2
3. Rhys Milne (LEE) def. Christopher Wood (UWA-M) 6-3, 6-2
4. Nicolai Jochamowitz (UWA-M) vs. Boyd Blackburn (LEE) 6-4, 3-6, 4-1, unfinished
5. Andrii Stratiienko (UWA-M) def. Karl Hulten (LEE) 6-4, 6-4
6. Charles Jabaley (LEE) def. Henrik Sinkko (UWA-M), by default
Doubles 1. Caspar Schuetze/Henrik Sinkko (UWA-M) def. Eirik Groner/Jake Okines (LEE) 8-3
2. Christopher Wood/Julius Kaverinen (UWA-M) def. Rhys Milne/Boyd Blackburn (LEE) 8-6
3. Andrii Stratiienko/Nicolai Jochamowitz (UWA-M) def. Karl Hulten/Charles Jabaley (LEE) 9-7
