Liberty Downs FAU 5-2, Friday

The Liberty Flames downed the host Florida Atlantic Owls by a 5-2 score, Friday at the FAU Tennis Complex.

In a match that lasted over four hours, the Flames prevailed after taking the doubles point and four of the six singles contests.

Liberty improves to 9-5 with its first-ever win over Florida Atlantic. FAU drops to 5-5 on the season.

Thoughts From Head Coach Derek Schwandt
"The guys fought as a unit today. We left it all on the court."

Liberty 5, Florida Atlantic 2

Singles Competition
1. Nicaise Muamba (LIBERTYM) def. #122 Maxime Lapraille (FAU) 6-2, 6-1
2. R. Marques Da Silva (LIBERTYM) def. Kevin Huempfner (FAU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
3. Filip Krolo (FAU) def. Deji Thomas-Smith (LIBERTYM) 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4)
4. Christiaan Worst (LIBERTYM) def. Gerard Escandell (FAU) 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4)
5. Thando Longwe-Smit (LIBERTYM) def. A. Fernandez Horta (FAU) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
6. Finn Stodder (FAU) def. Zion Heaven (LIBERTYM) 6-4, 6-4

Doubles Competition
1. Christiaan Worst/Deji Thomas-Smith (LIBERTYM) def. Maxime Lapraille/Filip Krolo (FAU) 7-6 (7-4)
2. R. Marques Da Silva/Nicaise Muamba (LIBERTYM) def. Kevin Huempfner/A. Fernandez Horta (FAU) 6-2
3. Finn Stodder/Hunter Robbins (FAU) def. Thando Longwe-Smit/Zion Heaven (LIBERTYM) 6-2

Liberty 9-5
Florida Atlantic 5-5
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (6,1,5,2,4,3)
T-4:04

How It Happened
• Liberty edged FAU in the doubles session by winning a tiebreaker on court one. The Flames' Christiaan Worst and Deji Thomas-Smith led 4-1 in their match with Maxime Lapraille and Filip Krolo. The Owls duo came back to take 5-4 and 6-5 leads, but Worst and Thomas-Smith forced a tiebreaker, which they won 7-6 (4).
• The Flames and Owls split the first two doubles contests. FAU's No. 3 duo, Finn Stodder and Hunter Robbins, topped Liberty's Thando Longwe-Smit and Zion Heaven 6-2.
• Liberty evened the doubles session at one match apiece with a 6-2 triumph at No. 2 doubles from Rafael Marques Da Silva and Nicaise Muamba over Kevin Huempfner and Alvaro Fernandez Horta. Marques Da Silva and Muamba improve to 8-3 in doubles, this spring.
• The Owls tied the match at 1-all with a two-set victory (6-4, 6-4) from Stodder against the Flames' Heaven.
• Liberty's reigning ASUN Player of the Week, Muamba, picked up his second ranked singles victory of the season on court one. He topped No. 122 Lapraille of FAU in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1, giving the visitors a 2-1 lead.
• The last four singles matches all needed three sets to decide winners. Longwe-Smit of the Flames dropped his opening set 6-2 to Fernandez Horta at No. 5 singles to prevail 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. Longwe-Smit's victory brought Liberty within a point of victory, 3-1.
• The match-clinching fourth point came from Marques Da Silva at No. 2 singles. He did so in comeback fashion, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Marques Da Silva was down a set and trailed 3-2 in set two before coming back to win.
• Liberty went ahead 5-1 following another come-from-behind effort, this time from Worst (No. 4 singles). The Flames sophomore bested Gerard Escandell in a third-set tiebreaker and won 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4).
• The final three-set match went to Krolo, who edged Thomas-Smith (No. 3 singles) on court three, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4).
• Muamba and Marques Da Silva each have 10 singles victories on the season. Muamba is 10-3 overall, and Marques Da Silva is 10-4.
• Liberty is 4-1 over its last five matches. The Flames are 6-0 this season when they have won the doubles point.
• The all-time series between the Flames and Owls is even at 1-1.

Next Up
• Liberty will be back in action next weekend to open up ASUN Conference play. The Flames will start ASUN competition at North Alabama (1-8), next Friday (3 p.m.) at the UNA Varsity Tennis Courts in Florence, Ala.

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