Sunday, April 21
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
1:00 PM ET/12:00 PM CT
Liberty University
2
vs
4
Middle Tennessee
No. 2 Flames Topped by No. 1 Seed Middle Tennessee 4-2 in CUSA Title Match
4/21/2024 4:12:00 PM | Men's Tennis
MURFEREESBORO, Tenn. – The No. 2 seed Liberty men's tennis team came up short in a 4-2 loss to No. 1 seed Middle Tennessee in the 2024 CUSA Men's Tennis Championship title match. The Flames season comes to an end as CUSA runner-up with a 17-8 mark. Sunday's match and the CUSA Championship was hosted by MTSU in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
The Blue Raiders grabbed an early start with two of three doubles victories on courts three and one. Liberty managed to keep the singles round close early, tying the match at 1-1 and 2-2 in the No. 6 and 3 singles match. Middle Tennessee secured the third and match-winning fourth points within moments on courts two and four.
The Flames wrap up the 2024 season for now with a strong showing in its debut season in Conference USA. Liberty ranked as high as No. 45 this season, currently sitting at a No. 53 ranking.
Liberty prepares for an opportunity to compete in postseason play as it waits for the results of the NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Selection Show on April 30.
Thoughts from Head Coach Derek Schwandt
"We competed hard today against a valiant opponent. We will learn from this experience and get better. Great job by our senior captains this season leading the way in competing and practice habits."
#34 Middle Tennessee 4, #53 Liberty 2
Singles Competition
1. #42 Leo Raquin (MTSU) def. R Marques Da Silva (LIBERTYM) 6-3, 6-3
2. Marcel Kamrowski (MTSU) def. Luis Felipe Miguel (LIBERTYM) 6-3, 6-4
3. Deji Thomas-Smith (LIBERTYM) def. Ondrej Horak (MTSU) 6-3, 6-4
4. Jakub Kroslak (MTSU) def. Thando Longwe-Smit (LIBERTYM) 6-3, 6-3
5. Demis Taramonlis (MTSU) vs. R Santiago Arraez (LIBERTYM) 6-4, 1-2, unfinished
6. Chase Robinson (LIBERTYM) def. Shu Matsuoka (MTSU) 6-1, 6-2
Doubles Competition
1. #26 Ondrej Horak/Leo Raquin (MTSU) def. Deji Thomas-Smith/Luis Felipe Miguel (LIBERTYM) 6-3
2. Thando Longwe-Smit/R Marques Da Silva (LIBERTYM) def. Marcel Kamrowski/Javier Cueto Ramos (MTSU) 6-3
3. Shu Matsuoka/Jakub Kroslak (MTSU) def. R Hadzimehmedovic/Matija Samardzic (LIBERTYM) 6-1
Liberty 17-8; National ranking #53
Middle Tennessee 20-9; National ranking #34
Order of Finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (6,1,3,2,4)
CUSA Championship - Championship Match
Official: Ted Mason T-2:08 A-248
Doubles
Singles
The Blue Raiders grabbed an early start with two of three doubles victories on courts three and one. Liberty managed to keep the singles round close early, tying the match at 1-1 and 2-2 in the No. 6 and 3 singles match. Middle Tennessee secured the third and match-winning fourth points within moments on courts two and four.
The Flames wrap up the 2024 season for now with a strong showing in its debut season in Conference USA. Liberty ranked as high as No. 45 this season, currently sitting at a No. 53 ranking.
Liberty prepares for an opportunity to compete in postseason play as it waits for the results of the NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Selection Show on April 30.
Thoughts from Head Coach Derek Schwandt
"We competed hard today against a valiant opponent. We will learn from this experience and get better. Great job by our senior captains this season leading the way in competing and practice habits."
#34 Middle Tennessee 4, #53 Liberty 2
Singles Competition
1. #42 Leo Raquin (MTSU) def. R Marques Da Silva (LIBERTYM) 6-3, 6-3
2. Marcel Kamrowski (MTSU) def. Luis Felipe Miguel (LIBERTYM) 6-3, 6-4
3. Deji Thomas-Smith (LIBERTYM) def. Ondrej Horak (MTSU) 6-3, 6-4
4. Jakub Kroslak (MTSU) def. Thando Longwe-Smit (LIBERTYM) 6-3, 6-3
5. Demis Taramonlis (MTSU) vs. R Santiago Arraez (LIBERTYM) 6-4, 1-2, unfinished
6. Chase Robinson (LIBERTYM) def. Shu Matsuoka (MTSU) 6-1, 6-2
Doubles Competition
1. #26 Ondrej Horak/Leo Raquin (MTSU) def. Deji Thomas-Smith/Luis Felipe Miguel (LIBERTYM) 6-3
2. Thando Longwe-Smit/R Marques Da Silva (LIBERTYM) def. Marcel Kamrowski/Javier Cueto Ramos (MTSU) 6-3
3. Shu Matsuoka/Jakub Kroslak (MTSU) def. R Hadzimehmedovic/Matija Samardzic (LIBERTYM) 6-1
Liberty 17-8; National ranking #53
Middle Tennessee 20-9; National ranking #34
Order of Finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (6,1,3,2,4)
CUSA Championship - Championship Match
Official: Ted Mason T-2:08 A-248
Doubles
- The Blue Raiders jumped ahead with a doubles match triumph on court three. Romeo Hadzimehmedovic and Matija Samardzic (4-3) fell to Shu Matsuoka and Jakob Kroslak 6-1.
- Liberty responded with a victory in the No. 2 doubles match. Rafael Marques Da Silva and Thando Longwe-Smit (9-7) took care of Marcel Kamrowski/Javier Cueto Ramos 6-3.
- The doubles point came down to court one. Luis Felipe Miguel and Deji Thomas-Smith (2-3) were trading blows against No. 26 Ondrej Horak and Leo Raquin but the MTSU pair pulled away for a 6-3 win.
Singles
- The Flames snagged the first singles match to even the match at 1-1 on court six. After clinching the match against Jax State on Saturday, Chase Robinson (13-3) cruised past Matsuoka 6-1, 6-2.
- Middle Tennessee responded with a triumph in the No. 1 singles match. Rafael Marques Da Silva (11-9) made pushes at the end of each set but fell to No. 42 Leo Raquin 6-3, 6-3.
- Liberty answered with Thomas-Smith's second victory in the CUSA Championships on court three. The senior bested Horak 6-3, 6-4.
- The Blue Raiders made the lead 3-2 in the No. 2 singles match. Miguel (15-8) was taken down by Kamrowski 6-3, 6-4.
- Middle Tennessee nailed down the 2024 CUSA Championship title and the match-winning fourth point on court four. Longwe-Smit was topped by Kroslak 6-3, 6-3.
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
1
6
Marcel Kamrowski/ Javier Cueto Ramos [MTSU]
3
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
3,2,1
#1 Singles Match
12
33
Leo Raquin / 0 (42/-) [MTSU]
66
#2 Singles Match
12
34
Marcel Kamrowski / 0 [MTSU]
66
#3 Singles Match
12
66
Ondrej Horak / 0 [MTSU]
34
#4 Singles Match
12
33
Jakub Kroslak / 0 [MTSU]
66
#5 Singles Match
123
42UF
Demis Taramonlis / 0 [MTSU]
61UF
#6 Singles Match
12
66
Shu Matsuoka / 0 [MTSU]
12
Order of Finish:
6,1,3,2,4
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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