Tennis battles Xavier Sunday

NEW ORLEANS – The Loyola University New Orleans men's and women's tennis teams faced more early season challenges on Sunday, taking on the nationally ranked Xavier squads in a crosstown rivalry matchup.

 

Making up matches that were originally scheduled for Saturday but pushed to Sunday due to weather, the Xavier men won 4-3 while the women defeated the Pack 6-1. 

 

The Gold Rush were down to just five players, giving the Loyola men an opportunity to potentially upset the No. 5 team in the NAIA. Xavier was able to clinch the match in singles, however, winning on the first four singles courts despite Loyola forcing third sets in three different matches. The Pack went into singles competition with one point by default, getting another via Aubin Duchier's three-set win on Court 5 (3-6, 7-5, 6-3). 

 

In doubles, Francisco Javier Arce Vieyra and Samuel Motazed picked up their second-straight win over solid competition with a 6-4 result on Court 1 to give Loyola the doubles point. 

 

"Our men put up a good fight against a short handed XULA team," said head coach Matt Llewellyn. "We wanted more from today and had opportunities to win the match. Overall, it was a good effort and great experience for our men.

 

Loyola also won the doubles point in the women's match. After XULA won on Court 3, the Wolf Pack battled back to win on the other two doubles courts. Micaela Ponce and Ariana Salgueiro-Estela improved to 5-1 on the season with a 6-4 win, then Lucy Carpenter and Fatima Vasquez claimed the doubles point for the Pack, taking the Court 1 match 6-4. 

 

Xavier earned the match win in singles, not dropping a match on any of the six courts, though Carpenter and Adele Fereres did take a set in each of their matches. 

 

"A lot of credit to the XULA women," Llewellyn said. "They really wanted to beat us after we got them last year. We wanted to win of course, but they were willing to do whatever it took to get the result they wanted. They were mentally and physically tougher than us today. We were not as resilient as we needed to be. We did not play free. We're still learning how to do that in bigger matches. I'm confident we will continue to learn and grow into a championship team."

 

Next on the schedule is the LSU Alexandria Invitational. Both the Wolf Pack men's and women's tennis teams will travel to Alexandria, La. for three matches starting on Feb. 23. 

 

You can keep up with the Pack by following Wolf Pack Athletics on Facebook at Facebook.com/LoyolaWolfPack, Twitter and Instagram @LoyolaWolfPack, and by checking out our website at LoyolaWolfPack.com.

Women's Results

No. 14 Loyola – 1

No. 6 Xavier – 6

Doubles
1. #10 L. Carpenter/Vasquez (LOYNO) def. Clarke/Balleste (XULA) 6-4

2. #13 Ponce/Salgueiro-Estela (LOYNO) def. Langa/Largacha (XULA) 6-4

3. Wheatley/Dixon (XULA) def. Briggs/Frierson (LOYNO) 6-3

Order of finish: 3, 2, 1

Singles

1. Mbali Langa (XULA) def. Lucy Carpenter (LOYNO) 1-6, 6-3, 7-5

2. #24 Juliette Finch (XULA) def. Fatima Vasquez (LOYNO) 6-4, 6-3

3. Valaine Clarke (XULA) def. Micaela Ponce (LOYNO) 6-3, 6-4

4. Tianna Dixon (XULA) def. Isabella Leaño (LOYNO) 6-1, 6-1

5. Valentina Largarcha (XULA) def. Ariana Salgueiro-Estela (LOYNO) 6-4, 6-1

6. McKenna Wheatley (XULA) def. Adele Fereres (LOYNO) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3

Order of finish: 4, 5, 3, 2, 6, 1

Men's Results

 

Loyola – 3

No. 5 Xavier – 4

 

Doubles
1. Arce/Motazed (LOYNO) def. Hell/Strauss (XULA) 7-5

2. Bain/Ray (XULA) def. de Preville/Duchier (LOYNO) 6-2

3. Aure/Cheung (LOYNO) win by default

Order of finish: 2, 1

 

Singles

1. #6 Jacobi Bain (XULA) def. Francisco Javier Arce Vieyra (LOYNO) 7-6, 6-3

2. #15 Mathieu Strauss (XULA) def. Remus Hebhang-Balan (LOYNO) 6-0, 5-7, 6-3

3. Julius Hell (XULA) def. Theo Debackere (LOYNO) 7-5, 6-3, 6-1

4. Jered Wilson (XULA) def. Hippolyte de Preville (LOYNO) 7-6, 7-5

5. Aubin Duchier (LOYNO) def. Dedric Ray (XULA) 3-6, 7-5, 6-3

6. Samuel Motazed (LOYNO) wins by default