Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Saturday, April 23
Norfolk, Va.
11:00 a.m.
Middle Tennessee
4
vs
3
UTSA
Photo by: Keith Lucas/Sideline Media
No. 18 Blue Raiders Punch Ticket to Conference USA Championship
4/23/2022 5:02:00 PM | Men's Tennis
NORFOLK, Va. – No. 18 Middle Tennessee men's tennis (26-4, 2-0) punches their ticket to the 2022 Conference USA Championship for the third consecutive season, defeating 5-seed UTSA by a close score of 4-3 on Saturday afternoon at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center.
With the win, MT moves to 26-4 on the season, extending the total for the most wins/best record in program history. Middle Tennessee also earned a spot in the C-USA men's tennis finals for the third consecutive season, the first school to accomplish this feat since Rice in the 2015-17 seasons.
1-seed Middle Tennessee advances to face 3-seed/No. 47 Charlotte (17-5) in the finals on Sunday, April 24 at 10 a.m. CT, the 49ers defeated 2-seed Florida Atlantic earlier in the day at 4-0. Sunday's meeting with CLT will be the 11th ranked opponent MT will face on the Spring season.The Blue Raiders are seeking a three-peat, entering the tournament as defending back-to-back champions (2019 & 2020).
In the win over 5-seed UTSA, Middle Tennessee jumped the Roadrunners in doubles competition, picking up wins on court Nos. 2 and 3. Graduate Students Stepan Holis and Chris Edge picked up the first advantage for MT on court three with a 6-3 triumph. Edge returned to the doubles rotation after missing the opening round match against 8-seed UAB.
Seniors Stijn Slump and Pavel Motl clinched the doubles portion, defeating Tiago Torres and Miguel Alonso at 7-5. Giving the Raiders the advantage heading into singles.
In singles play, Middle Tennessee split three first sets with UTSA, the Raiders picked up advantages from Edge, Holis, and Motl at 6-2.
Motl was the first MT student-athlete to pick up a singles victory, defeating Alonso in straight sets at 6-2, 6-1. The Prstice, Czech Republic native has won six of his last 10 singles contests, including four in a row.
However, after the Raiders picked up the doubles point and the first singles point of the day, the Roadrunners would surge to defeat Slump and Francisco Rocha in that order on court Nos. 1 and 2 to equalize the match at two. No. 71 Slump fell to the red-hot No. 107 Joao Ceolin, who earned his second ranked win in two days, defeating No. 52 Francois La Tallec of ODU the day before.
Edge broke the standoff in MT's favor, defeating Sebastian Rodriguez in three sets at 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.
Freshman Oskar Brostrom Poulsen fell on court No. 5 to once again tie that match at three all. Danijal Muminovic picked up the equalizing point in straight sets over Brostrom Poulsen at 6-2, 7-5.
In heroic fashion, 'Mr. Clinch' as named by Head Coach Jimmy Borendame on Senior Day, Zasova, Czech Republic native Holis grinded out a three-set match against Javier Gonzalez and sent the Blue Raiders to the finals. Stepan won at 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 to move to 16-8 on the season in singles play.
Next Up
The Blue Raiders will spend the night preparing to face 3-seed/No. 47 Charlotte in the 2022 Conference USA Men's Tennis Championship on Sunday, April 24 at 10 a.m. CT at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center.
What's on the Line?
If No. 18 Middle Tennessee earns a victory in the Championship match tomorrow, the Blue Raiders would be in contention to host a NCAA Regional at the Adams Tennis Complex on May 6-8, for the first-ever NCAA Regional in Murfreesboro. Middle Tennessee has already qualified for a NCAA Regional bid due to the No. 18 slot in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association ranking posted on April 20.
With a win over CLT, Coach Borendame would reach 200 wins as the leader of MT men's tennis, the second person in program history to reach that milestone.
Singles competition
1. #103 Joao Ceolin (UTSA) def. #71 SLUMP, Stijn (MTSU) 6-3, 6-3
2. Tiago Torres (UTSA) def. #80 ROCHA, Francisco (MTSU) 6-3, 6-0
3. EDGE, Chris (MTSU) def. Sebastian Rodriguez (UTSA) 6-2, 2-6, 6-2
4. HOLIS, Stepan (MTSU) def. Javier Gonzalez (UTSA) 6-2, 5-7, 6-3
5. Danijal Muminovic (UTSA) def. POULSEN, Oskar (MTSU) 6-2, 7-5
6. MOTL, Pavel (MTSU) def. Miguel Alonso (UTSA) 6-2, 6-1
Order of finish: Singles (6,2,1,3,5,4)
Doubles competition
1. #54 POULSEN, Oskar/ROCHA, Francisco (MTSU) vs. J. Ceolin/S. Rodriguez (UTSA) 5-6, unf.
2. MOTL, Pavel/SLUMP, Stijn (MTSU) def. Javier Gonzalez/Maxim Groysman (UTSA) 7-5
3. EDGE, Chris/HOLIS, Stepan (MTSU) def. Miguel Alonso/Tiago Torres (UTSA) 6-3
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2)
Follow us
Follow Middle Tennessee men's tennis on social media - Facebook (BlueRaiderMensTennis), Twitter (MT_MensTennis) and Instagram (MT_MensTennis).
With the win, MT moves to 26-4 on the season, extending the total for the most wins/best record in program history. Middle Tennessee also earned a spot in the C-USA men's tennis finals for the third consecutive season, the first school to accomplish this feat since Rice in the 2015-17 seasons.
1-seed Middle Tennessee advances to face 3-seed/No. 47 Charlotte (17-5) in the finals on Sunday, April 24 at 10 a.m. CT, the 49ers defeated 2-seed Florida Atlantic earlier in the day at 4-0. Sunday's meeting with CLT will be the 11th ranked opponent MT will face on the Spring season.The Blue Raiders are seeking a three-peat, entering the tournament as defending back-to-back champions (2019 & 2020).
In the win over 5-seed UTSA, Middle Tennessee jumped the Roadrunners in doubles competition, picking up wins on court Nos. 2 and 3. Graduate Students Stepan Holis and Chris Edge picked up the first advantage for MT on court three with a 6-3 triumph. Edge returned to the doubles rotation after missing the opening round match against 8-seed UAB.
Seniors Stijn Slump and Pavel Motl clinched the doubles portion, defeating Tiago Torres and Miguel Alonso at 7-5. Giving the Raiders the advantage heading into singles.
In singles play, Middle Tennessee split three first sets with UTSA, the Raiders picked up advantages from Edge, Holis, and Motl at 6-2.
Motl was the first MT student-athlete to pick up a singles victory, defeating Alonso in straight sets at 6-2, 6-1. The Prstice, Czech Republic native has won six of his last 10 singles contests, including four in a row.
However, after the Raiders picked up the doubles point and the first singles point of the day, the Roadrunners would surge to defeat Slump and Francisco Rocha in that order on court Nos. 1 and 2 to equalize the match at two. No. 71 Slump fell to the red-hot No. 107 Joao Ceolin, who earned his second ranked win in two days, defeating No. 52 Francois La Tallec of ODU the day before.
Edge broke the standoff in MT's favor, defeating Sebastian Rodriguez in three sets at 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.
Freshman Oskar Brostrom Poulsen fell on court No. 5 to once again tie that match at three all. Danijal Muminovic picked up the equalizing point in straight sets over Brostrom Poulsen at 6-2, 7-5.
In heroic fashion, 'Mr. Clinch' as named by Head Coach Jimmy Borendame on Senior Day, Zasova, Czech Republic native Holis grinded out a three-set match against Javier Gonzalez and sent the Blue Raiders to the finals. Stepan won at 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 to move to 16-8 on the season in singles play.
Next Up
The Blue Raiders will spend the night preparing to face 3-seed/No. 47 Charlotte in the 2022 Conference USA Men's Tennis Championship on Sunday, April 24 at 10 a.m. CT at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center.
What's on the Line?
If No. 18 Middle Tennessee earns a victory in the Championship match tomorrow, the Blue Raiders would be in contention to host a NCAA Regional at the Adams Tennis Complex on May 6-8, for the first-ever NCAA Regional in Murfreesboro. Middle Tennessee has already qualified for a NCAA Regional bid due to the No. 18 slot in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association ranking posted on April 20.
With a win over CLT, Coach Borendame would reach 200 wins as the leader of MT men's tennis, the second person in program history to reach that milestone.
Singles competition
1. #103 Joao Ceolin (UTSA) def. #71 SLUMP, Stijn (MTSU) 6-3, 6-3
2. Tiago Torres (UTSA) def. #80 ROCHA, Francisco (MTSU) 6-3, 6-0
3. EDGE, Chris (MTSU) def. Sebastian Rodriguez (UTSA) 6-2, 2-6, 6-2
4. HOLIS, Stepan (MTSU) def. Javier Gonzalez (UTSA) 6-2, 5-7, 6-3
5. Danijal Muminovic (UTSA) def. POULSEN, Oskar (MTSU) 6-2, 7-5
6. MOTL, Pavel (MTSU) def. Miguel Alonso (UTSA) 6-2, 6-1
Order of finish: Singles (6,2,1,3,5,4)
Doubles competition
1. #54 POULSEN, Oskar/ROCHA, Francisco (MTSU) vs. J. Ceolin/S. Rodriguez (UTSA) 5-6, unf.
2. MOTL, Pavel/SLUMP, Stijn (MTSU) def. Javier Gonzalez/Maxim Groysman (UTSA) 7-5
3. EDGE, Chris/HOLIS, Stepan (MTSU) def. Miguel Alonso/Tiago Torres (UTSA) 6-3
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2)
Follow us
Follow Middle Tennessee men's tennis on social media - Facebook (BlueRaiderMensTennis), Twitter (MT_MensTennis) and Instagram (MT_MensTennis).
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
3,2
#1 Singles Match
12
Joao Ceolin / 0 (103/-) [UTSA]
66
33
#2 Singles Match
12
Tiago Torres / 0 [UTSA]
66
30
#3 Singles Match
123
Sebastian Rodriguez / 0 [UTSA]
262
626
#4 Singles Match
123
Javier Gonzalez / 0 [UTSA]
273
656
#5 Singles Match
12
Danijal Muminovic / 0 [UTSA]
67
25
#6 Singles Match
12
Miguel Alonso / 0 [UTSA]
21
66
Order of Finish:
6,2,1,3,5,4
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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