Blazers, Lady Blazers Sink HPU

Doubles Shine Bright

VALDOSTA, Ga. - In a match that saw the singles action split down the middle for the Blazers, Valdosta State's performance in doubles won the match to move to 8-2 on the year. With an 8-5 win at the third spot for Florian Halb and Otto Lenhart and a 9-8 (3) win for the second ranked team of Leos Jelinek and Joerg Ekkenga in the top spot, VSU earned a 5-4 win over Hawaii Pacific.

The Lady Blazers followed the men's lead. By sweeping doubles, Valdosta State was able to survive a split in singles action for a 6-3 score in the match to also move to 8-2.

After gaining the edge in doubles, the men still had to toe the line in singles action. Daniel Dueren won easily in the top spot, 6-1, 6-1, over #30 Hendrik Bode. In the third spot, #10 Ekkenga followed Dueren's lead with a strong 6-4, 6-2 win over Sebastian Bader. Finally, in the fifth spot, Lenhart used three sets to put away HPU's Anton Samuilau, 6-1, 5-7, 6-0.

The second, fourth and sixth spots didn't fare so well for Valdosta State. Ninth ranked Halb and #17 Jelinek put up good fights but would not earn wins. After winning the first set, Halb fell in three, losing the last in a tiebreaker, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (4). Jelinek played two close sets, but fell, 7-5, 7-5, to #39 Daniel Luedi. Michael Kuech went down to Aleksander Markov, 6-2, 6-3.

In the end though, VSU did enough to earn a close victory over the sixth ranked team in the nation.

The Lady Blazers held true to their #3 ranking early in the day. The closest challenge in doubles for VSU came at the two spot. Karine Redon and Natali Gumbrecht squeaked by Lauren Shin and Anastasiya Ageychik, 9-7. At the top spot #19 Dominique Rothlaender and Tina Trautmann beat Ingrid Cseh and Zora Vlckova, 8-6, while Kristel de Groot's team beat Tinka and Nina Mihova, 8-4, in the third spot.

Gumbrecht went on to win at the second spot in two sets, 6-1, 6-4. Trautmann did the same but with the aid of a tiebreaker. She took down #45 Nina Mihova, 6-2, 7-6 (4). At six Sonya Haggstrom beat the other Mihova, Tinka, by a score of 4-6, 6-3, (10-1). Rothlaender, de Groot and Redine did not fare as well.

The team gets back to action next weekend against a multitude of opponents in Montgomery, Ala.

Current News >>