Liberty's 2012 Men's Tennis Team Honored as Top Team by ASUN
10/6/2020 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
In conjunction with each institution's sports information office, the ASUN Conference has announced each member school's top team in its men's tennis program history. The 2012 squad was recognized as Liberty's best men's tennis team, with the 2014, 2015 and 2019 teams each earning honorable mention.
Top Men's Tennis Season – 2012
The 2012 Flames tennis program totaled 15 wins on the season, the second most in school history, while posting an impressive 10 victories on the road. Liberty held a seven-match winning streak at one point during the year, which included its first-ever victory over a ranked opponent. The Flames defeated No. 64 Oklahoma State 4-3 on the road on Feb. 28, 2012.
Siim Tuus and Giancarlo Lemmi earned Big South All-Conference doubles recognition. The duo posted a 12-4 record in the No. 1 position. Tuus earned his third all-conference singles honor as well after going 14-7 at No. 1 singles. The Flames' Jorge Azuero was the top performer in the Big South in the No. 6 singles flight with a 7-0 record. Liberty's Mandeep Yadav was the Big South flight winner at No. 5 singles with a 5-0 mark.
Tristan Stayt posted the third-most doubles wins in a single season in program history with 23. Stayt and his doubles partner Shea Thomas were a team-best 14-2 in spring competition.
Honorable Mention – 2014, 2015 and 2019
In 2014, Liberty held a 12-10 record and 5-3 record in Big South contests to earn the No. 3 seed for the Big South Men's Tennis Championship. The Flames featured a pair of Big South All-Conference doubles units in Egon Samaai and Dillon Segur and Shea Thomas and Jorge Azuero. Samaai and Segur became the first duo in program history to be honored as a VaSID All-State doubles tandem. Thomas closed out his Liberty career with 82 doubles triumphs, a record that still stands today.
Led by Big South Coach of the Year Chris Johnson, the 2015 Flames captured 14 total matches and posted their best record in the Big South (6-2) in school history. Liberty's Sam Matheson garnered inclusion on the Big South All-Conference singles squad. Matheson paced the team in singles play with a 14-7 overall record and 7-1 mark in Big South bouts. Azuero became the third Flame to earn Big South All-Academic team honors three years in a row.
In Derek Schwandt's second year as head coach, the 2019 Liberty team posted a 12-11 mark and 6-1 record in its first year in the ASUN Conference. The Flames received the No. 2 seed for the ASUN Men's Tennis Championship and featured ASUN Player of the Year Nicaise Muamba, ASUN Freshman of the Year Josh Wilson and ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year Chase Burton. Muamba earned a spot in the 2019 NCAA Men's Tennis Singles Championship, becoming the second player in Flames program history to earn entry into the championship.
During the coming weeks, the ASUN Conference will continue revealing each member's top seasons in each sport the conference sponsors.
