Box Score
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Lee University men's tennis team finished its regular season schedule with a 5-3 setback to Mississippi College in a Gulf South Conference (GSC) match held at the Charger Tennis Facility on the campus of Alabama Huntsville.
The Flames (12-10, 3-6 GSC) will enter the GSC Tournament as the No. 6 seed and will face No. 3 seed University of North Alabama at 10 a.m. EDT Thursday. The GSC Tournament will be held April 14-16 at Lagoon Park/O'Connor Tennis Center in Montgomery, Ala.
Eirik Groner and Karl Hulten gave Lee a quick lead with an 8-2 win over Marcos Rocca and Petar Damjanovic at No. 1 doubles. Phillip Qu and Sanders Barrick doubled Jake Okines and Charles Jabaley, 8-4, to even the score for the Choctaws (13-8, 6-3 GSC). Rhys Milne and Boyd Blackburn held off Lucio Menezes and Maximilian Nilges, 8-6, to give the Flames a 2-1 advantage heading into singles competition.
Okines lengthened Lee's lead with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Nilges. Menezes and Rocca picked up wins at No. 2 and No. 1 singles, respectively to tie the team score once again. Menezes beat Milne 6-4 and 6-2. Rocca outlasted Groner by winning the first and third sets by 7-5 and 6-4 margins. Groner won the second set 6-0.
Damjanovic beat Blackburn (6-2, 6-2) at the No.4 spot and J. Rodrigo Gonzalez claimed a three-setter over Hulten to secure the team victory. Hulten won the opening set 6-3, then lost the next two sets by the same score.
"We got a great start in doubles with Karl and Eirik and Rhys and Boyd," said Lee head coach Patric Hynes. "MC just kept at us and deserved to win. That was a solid win for Jake at No. 3 singles. He is building some good form heading into the tournament. Eirik played well and that match could have gone either way. We will get ourselves ready for the tournament now."
Mississippi College 5, Lee University 3
Singles
1. Marcos Rocca (MC) def. Eirik Groner (LEE) 7-5, 0-6, 6-4
2. Lucio Menezes (MC) def. Rhys Milne (LEE) 6-4, 6-2
3. Jake Okines (LEE) def. Maximilian Nilges (MC) 6-4, 6-3
4. Petar Damjanovic (MC) def. Boyd Blackburn (LEE) 6-2, 6-2
5. J. Rodrigo Gonzalez (MC) def. Karl Hulten (LEE) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
6. Charles Jabaley (LEE) vs. Phillip Qu (MC) 2-4, unfinished
Doubles
1. Eirik Groner/Karl Hulten (LEE) def. Marcos Rocca/Petar Damjanovic (MC) 8-2
2. Rhys Milne/Boyd Blackburn (LEE) def. Lucio Menezes/Maximilian Nilges (MC) 8-6
3. Phillip Qu/Sanders Barrick (MC) def. Jake Okines/Charles Jabaley (LEE) 8-4
