April 25, 2009

ROCK HILL, S.C. - The Lions of Mars Hill College made their mark in the South Atlantic Conference history book Saturday afternoon when they captured their first SAC Men's Tennis Tournament title since joining the league. The tournament's no. 3 seed dispatched no. 5 seed Tusculum College, 5-1, in the championship match in only an hour and 35 minutes.

After Mars Hill's Andre Schafer and Stevan Stankovic won over Thomas Rees and Drew Kiser at no. 1 doubles, 8-6, teammates Koeche Smith and Tyrone La Reservee knocked off Tusculum's Leo Guaycurus and Henrique Rodrigues, 8-2, in the no. 2 doubles match.

While there were six singles matches that began, only three were completed, and all were won by Mars Hill. The Lions picked up their first win of singles play when no. 5 seed La Reservee won easily over Tusculum's Steven Lin in straight sets 6-3, 6-0. No. 4 seed Schafer then knocked off Guaycurus 6-0, 6-4 to put the match on the brink.

Mars Hill clinched the title when no. 2 singles player Smith needed only two sets to defeat Rees 6-2, 6-3. Smith's efforts throughout the tournament and in the championship match helped earn him SAC Tournament MVP honors.

Mars Hill moves to 13-5 overall and will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Southeast Regional Tournament to be held in early May. The Lions were the NCAA Southeast Region's no. 14 ranked team entering this weekend's tournament and will most likely move up the ladder before regional tournament play gets underway.

#3 Mars Hill 5, #5 Tusculum 1

Singles competition
1. Henrique Rodrigues (TCM) vs. Alessandro du Besse (MHC) no result
2. Koeche Smith (MHC) def. Thomas Rees (TCM) 6-2, 6-3
3. Hunter Beal (TCM) vs. Ugras Taylan Batuk (MHC) no result
4. Andre Schafer (MHC) def. Leo Guaycurus (TCM) 6-0, 6-4
5. Tyrone La Reservee (MHC) def. Steven Lin (TCM) 6-3, 6-0
6. Drew Kiser (TCM) vs. Carlos Oyaga (MHC) no result

Doubles competition
1. Andre Schafer/Stevan Stankovic (MHC) def. Thomas Rees/Drew Kiser (TCM) 8-6
2. Koeche Smith/Tyrone La Reservee (MHC) def. Leo Guaycurus/Henrique Rodrigues (TCM) 8-2
3. Hunter Beal/Steven Lin (TCM) def. Alessandro du Besse/Ugras Taylan Batuk (MHC) 8-4

Match Notes:
#5 Tusculum 14-10
#3 Mars Hill 13-5
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (5,4,2)
2009 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Men's Tennis Championship
T-2:35 

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