Blue Raiders Make History in Sweep Over North Alabama and Butler

Friday, January 21

Noon

Middle Tennessee

North Alabama

1/21/2022 9:21:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Alex Morgan, MT Athletic Communications

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee men's tennis (4-0) exhibited another brilliant performance inside the Adams Tennis Complex on Friday night, sweeping North Alabama 7-0 and Butler 7-0.

MT tied its sixth-best start to a season in program history (4-0) in the wins on Friday night. This is the first time in program history the Blue Raiders haven't allowed a single point through the first four matches. With the wins, Middle Tennessee extends the nation's longest active home winning streak to 33.

"On Monday, I wasn't really thrilled with some of the execution in the doubles, so we spent a lot of time this week on doubles," head coach Jimmy Borendame said. "It helps when we are able to throw Pavel Motl back in the mix after getting the green light from the trainers, he's a phenomenal doubles player."

Through four matches, the Blue Raiders have outscored their opponents 8-1 on the doubles courts and 24-0 on the singles courts.

To begin the double-header against North Alabama, the Graduate Student duo on court No. 3 Chris Edge and Stepan Holis continued their tear winning 6-2. Shortly after, Senior Stijn Slump and Freshman Mattia Bernardi clinched the doubles point with a 6-3 triumph. The Blue Raider top doubles court with Francisco Rocha and Oskar Brostrom Poulsen was 5-3 before being declared unfinished.

Blue Raider newcomers were dominant in the lopsided singles affair over UNA. Freshmen Lucas Olivier, John Chin, Brostrom Poulsen, and Bernardi all left their matches with two-set victories. #82 Rocha and Edge were taken to three-sets on the top two courts but came out with wins in the third tiebreaker sets.

Against Butler, Holis and Edge continued their trend and dominated on court three 6-1. Rocha and Brostrom Poulsen won a tighter set 6-4 against the Bulldog duo Michael Dickson and Drew Michael, clinching the doubles point in MT's favor. #44 duo in the nation Slump and Motl fought hard in their match but was declared unfinished as they were up 5-4.

In singles, Brostrom Poulsen wrapped his match up first with a 6-1, 6-2 win on court six. #106 Holis made his first singles appearance on the day and cruised in two-sets 6-2, 6-4. Motl was given his first singles nod on the season on court No. 5 and won both sets 6-3. #30 Slump and Edge were both taken to three sets, Edge wrapped up first in the tiebreaker 10-2, Slump kept the sweep alive in a 12-10 finisher over Thomas Brennan.

Next up
Middle Tennessee will hit the road tomorrow to take on #21 Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss. on Sunday at Noon. "Anxious to get to Mississippi State, last year we lost 4-3 to them in the last match, they went on to make the Sweet 16. They are a top 25 team in the country and well coached, they're a tough team with five out of their six starters back, it's going to be a good match." Borendame said. The Blue Raiders will hit the road for three straight matches before returning to the ATC on Feb. 4.

Singles competition (vs. North Alabama)
1. #82 ROCHA, Francisco (MTSU) def. Fernando Herrera (UNA) 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-5)
2. EDGE, Chris (MTSU) def. Carlos Matarredona (UNA) 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 (10-3)
3. POULSEN, Oskar (MTSU) def. Nazar Fedoryshyn (UNA) 6-2, 6-3
4. CHIN, John (MTSU) def. Guilherme Diniz (UNA) 6-1, 6-0
5. BERNARDI, Mattia (MTSU) def. Jamie Bixby (UNA) 6-3, 6-4
6. OLIVIER, Lucas (MTSU) def. Sam Tolbert (UNA) 6-1, 6-1
Order of finish: (6, 3, 4, 5, 2, 1)

Doubles competition (vs. North Alabama)
1. ROCHA, Francisco/POULSEN, Oskar (MTSU) vs. C. Matarredona/F. Herrera (UNA) 5-3, unfinish
2. SLUMP, Stijn/BERNARDI, Mattia (MTSU) def. Guilherme Diniz/Jamie Bixby (UNA) 6-3
3. EDGE, Chris/HOLIS, Stepan (MTSU) def. Nazar Fedoryshyn/Sam Tolbert (UNA) 6-2
Order of finish: (3, 2)

Singles competition (vs. Butler)
1. #30 SLUMP, Stijn (MTSU) def. Thomas Brennan (BUTLER) 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (12-10)
2. #82 ROCHA, Francisco (MTSU) def. Alvaro Huete Vadillo (BUTLER) 6-2, 6-2
3. EDGE, Chris (MTSU) def. Michael Dickson (BUTLER) 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (10-2)
4. #106 HOLIS, Stepan (MTSU) def. Borja Miralles (BUTLER) 6-2, 6-4
5. MOTL, Pavel (MTSU) def. Drew Michael (BUTLER) 6-3, 6-3
6. POULSEN, Oskar (MTSU) def. Michael Karr (BUTLER) 6-1, 6-2
Order of finish: (6, 4, 5, 2, 3, 1)

Doubles competition (vs. Butler)
1. #44 MOTL, Pavel/SLUMP, Stijn (MTSU) vs. T.Brennan/A. Huete (BUTLER) 5-4, unfinished
2. ROCHA, Francisco/POULSEN, Oskar (MTSU) def. Michael Dickson/Drew Michael (BUTLER) 6-4
3. HOLIS, Stepan/EDGE, Chris (MTSU) def. Patrick Joss/Zach Trimpe (BUTLER) 6-1
Order of finish: (3, 2)

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