HICKORY, NC – Junior Liam Day and sophomores Martin Barbera and Luis Lopez Sarasa won both their singles and doubles matches to lead Francis Marion University to a 5-2 win over Lenoir-Rhyne University, Sunday afternoon (Feb. 26) in non-conference men's tennis play.
 
Francis Marion (3-4) will play at Lander University on Thursday at 2 p.m., before hosting West Virginia Wesleyan College on Sunday at noon.
 
FMU captured the doubles point to take an early 1-0 advantage after Barbera and Lopez Sarasa won 6-3 at the No.2 position and then Day and junior Leonel Gonzalez were victorious 6-4 at the No.1 spot.
 
The Patriots then clinched the match by picking up three straight singles wins: Day at No.1 (6-1, 6-2), Barbera at No.3 (6-0, 7-5), and Lopez Sarasa at No.5 (6-4, 7-6 [7-5]).
 
Junior Adam Ernberg accounted for the other FMU point by winning 6-1, 6-2 at No.6 singles.
 
 
Men's Tennis Match Results
02/26/2023 at Hickory, N.C. (YMCA of Catawba Valley)
Francis Marion University 5, Lenoir-Rhyne 2
Singles competition
1. Liam Day (FMU) def. Zachary Cox (LRU) 6-1, 6-2
2. Vadym Rogynskyi (LRU) def. Harri Lloyd-Evans (FMU) 6-3, 6-0
3. Martin Barbera (FMU) def. Mauricio Hernandez (LRU) 6-0, 7-5
4. Patrik Alvestrand (LRU) def. Leonel Gonzalez (FMU 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 13-11
5. Luis Lopez Sarasa (FMU) def. Joel Hemmings (LRU) 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
6. Adam Ernberg (FMU) def. Mattias Selde (LRU) 6-1, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Liam Day/Leonel Gonzalez (FMU) def. Zachary Cox/Vadym Rogynskyi (LRU) 6-4
2. Martin Barbera/Luis Lopez Sarasa (FMU) def. Joel Hemmings/Mauricio Hernandez (LRU) 6-3
3. Connor Gibson/Mattias Selde (LRU) def. Harri Lloyd-Evans/Adam Ernberg (FMU) 7-5
 
Match Notes: Francis Marion University 3-4
Lenoir-Rhyne 3-6
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (1,3,5,2,6,4)