Liberty University
William & Mary
Flames Best Tribe 5-2 in First Match in New Liberty Indoor Tennis Center, Monday
2/15/2021 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Liberty took down William & Mary by a 5-2 score in its first-ever match at the new Liberty Indoor Tennis Center, Monday afternoon.
The Flames improve to 5-3 on the season and have won four straight matches. Liberty is 4-0 at home in 2021. The Tribe drop to 1-2 and have lost back-to-back contests.
Liberty turned in a dominant effort in the doubles session and claimed straight-set victories on courts five, one, three and two in singles. The Flames have now defeated William & Mary three straight times, dating back to the 2019 campaign.
Today's match was the first men's match in the brand-new facility. The 48,000-square foot facility features six courts and seating for 100 fans. The building also houses team locker rooms, a team lounge, a laundry facility and a concessions area.
Thoughts From Head Coach Derek Schwandt
"It was an honor to compete in the new indoor facility today. We are so appreciative of how Liberty invests in our student-athletes. Our guys fought relentlessly and set the standard high for each other today."
Liberty Indoor Tennis Center Firsts Between Liberty and William & Mary
• First serve: Brenden Volk | William & Mary No. 1 doubles | 2:01 p.m.
• First point: Brenden Volk and George Davis | William & Mary No. 1 doubles
• First Liberty point: Nicaise Muamba and Rafael Marques Da Silva | Liberty No. 3 doubles | Muamba overhead smash from in front of net
• First game victory: Nicaise Muamba and Rafael Marques Da Silva | Liberty No. 3 doubles
• First doubles victory: Josh Wilson and Goncalo Ferreira | Liberty No. 1 doubles, 6-2 victory over George Davis and Brenden Volk
• First doubles-clinching victory: Nicaise Muamba and Rafael Marques Da Silva | Liberty No. 3 doubles, 6-4 victory over Finbar Talcott and Daniel Pellerito | Marques Da Silva match point forehand winner down the line
• First singles victory: Deji Thomas Smith | Liberty No. 5 singles, 6-1, 6-2 over George Davis
• First match-clinching victory (fourth point): Rafael Marques Da Silva | Liberty No. 3 singles, 6-0, 6-3 over Sebastian Quiros
Liberty 5, William & Mary 2
Singles Competition
1. Nicaise Muamba (LIBERTYM) def. Lev Kazakov (WM) 6-1, 6-2
2. Josh Wilson (LIBERTYM) def. Brenden Volk (WM) 6-4, 6-1
3. R. Marques Da Silva (LIBERTYM) def. Sebastian Quiros (WM) 6-0, 6-3
4. Joseph Brailovsky (WM) def. Goncalo Ferreira (LIBERTYM) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
5. Deji Thomas-Smith (LIBERTYM) def. George Davis (WM) 6-1, 6-2
6. Finbar Talcott (WM) def. Zion Heaven (LIBERTYM) 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 1-0 (10-7)
Doubles Competition
1. Josh Wilson/Goncalo Ferreira (LIBERTYM) def. George Davis/Brenden Volk (WM) 6-2
2. Christiaan Worst/Deji Thomas-Smith (LIBERTYM) vs. Joseph Brailovsky/Lev Kazakov (WM) 5-4, unfinished
3. Nicaise Muamba/R. Marques Da Silva (LIBERTYM) def. Finbar Talcott/Daniel Pellerito (WM) 6-4
William & Mary 1-2
Liberty 5-3
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (5,1,3,2,6,4)
Official: B Harrison/J Conley T-2:20
How It Happened
• Liberty's Josh Wilson and Goncalo Ferreira (No. 1 doubles) earned two early breaks in their match with George Davis and Brenden Volk and went on to win 6-2. They became the first pairing to pick up a doubles win in the Liberty Indoor Tennis Center.
• The Flames' Nicaise Muamba and Rafael Marques Da Silva (No. 3 doubles) trailed 4-3 in their match with the Tribe's Finbar Talcott and Daniel Pellerito. The Liberty duo claimed the next two games and led 40-30 with match point. Marques Da Silva hit a forehand winner down the line to give the Flames the doubles point and a 1-0 advantage.
• Deji Thomas-Smith of the Flames became the first Liberty player to win a singles match in the new facility. The second-year player pushed his winning streak to three matches with a 6-1, 6-2 decision over George Davis in the No. 5 slot.
• Muamba (Liberty) also won in two sets, defeating Lev Kazakov 6-1, 6-2. The junior's victory made it 3-0 Liberty and bumped his record to 5-2 in the No. 1 position in the lineup.
• A few seconds after Muamba closed out his match, his doubles partner Marques Da Silva became the first Flame to earn a match-clinching fourth point in the Liberty Indoor Tennis Center. Marques Da Silva topped Sebastian Quiros 6-0, 6-3 on court three.
• Wilson became the next Liberty player to earn a singles victory, winning 6-4, 6-1 versus Volk in the No. 2 position for a 5-0 Flames lead. The Reigate, United Kingdom, native is 5-2 at No. 2 singles, this season.
• The Tribe claimed the final two matches on court, both in three sets, bringing the final score to 5-2. Talcott (No. 6 singles) got past Liberty's Zion Heaven in three sets, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 1-0 (7). William & Mary's Joseph Brailovsky defeated Ferreira in comeback fashion, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
Next Up
• The Flames will be on the road for their two matches, starting with a trip to Old Dominion (2-5) on Friday. First serve between the Flames and Monarchs is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center.
• Liberty and ODU met on Feb. 1 at Crosswhite Athletic Club in Lynchburg. The Flames defeated the Monarchs 4-3, the first-ever victory over ODU in program history.
