Friday, February 27
Tempe, Ariz.
6:00 PM ET/4:00 PM MT
Liberty University
4
vs
1
No. 64 Washington
Flames Secure Triumph at Eight-Team Event in Arizona
3/1/2026 12:36:00 AM | Men's Tennis
TEMPE, Ariz. – The Liberty Flames (5-7) showed promise against challenging competition, securing a 4-1 triumph over No. 61 Washington on Friday while falling in two matches at the Diablos College Invitational in Tempe, Ariz. Liberty was unable to stack victories with a pair of losses to No. 11 Arizona State (12-3), 4-0, and No. 31 UC Santa Barbara (8-5), 4-1, on Saturday
.
Thoughts from Head Coach Derek Schwandt
"The team gave our best and came up a little short tonight versus a tough UCSB team. We are excited to keep building and thankful for an awesome challenge at this tournament."
#51 Liberty 4, #64 Washington 1
Liberty kicked off the tournament with a strong performance against Washington (5-5), winning by a 4-1 count. The team secured the doubles point with victories at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles. Rodrigo Santiago Arraez and Guy Vorwerk edged out Nikola Plavsic and Stephane Kamendje 7-6 (3) at No. 2, while Siwanat Auytayakul and Chase Robinson triumphed 6-2 over Hyeonseok Seo and Rohan Belday at No. 3. The match at No. 1 doubles featuring David Ekpenyong and Benjamin Sparks ended in a 6-6 stalemate.
In singles action, Liberty saw a split in the early matches. Arraez earned a point at No. 2 singles, defeating Kamendje 7-6(5), 6-4, and Robinson contributed a win at No. 6 singles against Daniel Bien, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Washington's Purohit claimed victory at No. 1 singles against Auytayakul with a 6-0, 5-7, 6-3 result. Liberty clinched the match with Ekpenyong's three-set win at No. 5 singles, overcoming Seo 6-3, 5-7, 6-1. The remaining matches at No. 3 and No. 4 singles were left unfinished, with Liberty's Carl Roothman and Sparks both in contention against Washington's Belday and Pearson, respectively.
Singles Competition
1. Soham Purohit (WASH) def. Siwanat Auytayakul (LIBERTYM) 6-0, 5-7, 6-3
2. R Santiago Arraez (LIBERTYM) def. Stephane Kamendje (WASH) 7-6 (7-5), 6-4
3. Carl Roothman (LIBERTYM) vs. Rohan Belday (WASH) 6-4, 4-6, 5-4, unfinished
4. Benjamin Sparks (LIBERTYM) vs. Brett Pearson (WASH) 7-6 (7-4), 5-6, unfinished
5. David Ekpenyong (LIBERTYM) def. Hyeonseok Seo (WASH) 6-3, 5-7, 6-1
6. Chase Robinson (LIBERTYM) def. Daniel Bien (WASH) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
Doubles Competition
1. David Ekpenyong/Benjamin Sparks (LIBERTYM) vs. #42 Brett Pearson/Soham Purohit (WASH) 6-6, unfinished
2. R Santiago Arraez/Guy Vorwerk (LIBERTYM) def. Nikola Plavsic/Stephane Kamendje (WASH) 7-6 (7-3)
3. Siwanat Auytayakul/Chase Robinson (LIBERTYM) def. Hyeonseok Seo/Rohan Belday (WASH) 6-2
Washington 5-5; National ranking #64
Liberty 5-5; National ranking #51
Order of Finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (2,6,1,5)
#11 Arizona State 4, #51 Liberty 0
Liberty's success was short-lived as they fell to the invite host, No. 11 Arizona State (12-3) the following day, falling with a 4-1 final score. Liberty managed a victory in the No. 2 doubles match. Liberty's Guy Vorwerk and Santiago Arraez claimed a 6-3 victory at No. 2 doubles against Arizona State's Ofek Shimanov and Kristof Minarik. The Sun Devils clinched the doubles point with wins at No. 3 and No. 1 doubles.
In singles play, Arizona State quickly extended its lead with decisive victories. Jelani Sarr clinched a 6-1, 6-1 win over Ekpenyong at No. 5, and Villard followed with a 6-2, 6-1 result against Sparks at No. 4. Matsuoka completed the singles sweep for Arizona State, defeating Roothman 6-3, 6-3 at No. 3. Matches on courts one, two, and six were left unfinished, with Auytayakul trailing Artnak 6-1, 3-5 at No. 1, Arraez leading Mathis Bondaz 7-5 at No. 2, and Robinson was edged by Ginat in a first-set tiebreak at No. 6, 7-6(8).
Singles Competition
1. Bor Artnak (ASU) vs. Siwanat Auytayakul (LIBERTYM) 6-1, 3-5, unfinished
2. Mathis Bondaz (ASU) vs. R Santiago Arraez (LIBERTYM) 5-7, unfinished
3. Shu Matsuoka (ASU) def. Carl Roothman (LIBERTYM) 6-3, 6-3
4. Nilels Villard (ASU) def. Benjamin Sparks (LIBERTYM) 6-2, 6-1
5. Jelani Sarr (ASU) def. David Ekpenyong (LIBERTYM) 6-1, 6-1
6. Roi Ginat (ASU) vs. Chase Robinson (LIBERTYM) 7-6 (8-6), unfinished
Doubles Competition
1. Bor Artnak/Shu Matsuoka (ASU) def. Benjamin Sparks/David Ekpenyong (LIBERTYM) 7-5
2. Guy Vorwerk/R Santiago Arraez (LIBERTYM) def. Ofek Shimanov/Kristof Minarik (ASU) 6-3
3. Nilels Villard/Roi Ginat (ASU) def. Chase Robinson/Siwanat Auytayakul (LIBERTYM) 6-3
Liberty 5-6; National ranking #51
Arizona State 12-3; National ranking #11
Order of Finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (4,5,3)
#31 UC Santa Barbara 4, #51 Liberty 1
Liberty looked to end the prestigious event with a victory, but fell despite a valiant effort facing UC Santa Barbara, where they were taken down 4-1. UC Santa Barbara secured the doubles point with victories in two of three matches. No. 84 Miguel Avendano and Lucca Liu clinched a 6-4 win over Liberty's Ekpenyong and Sparks at No. 1 doubles, while Lorenzo Brunkow and Diogo Morais defeated Robinson and Auytayakul 6-4 at No. 3. The match on court two, featuring Conrad Brown and Dominique Rolland against Vorwerk and Arraez, remained unfinished at 5-4.
In the singles round, UC Santa Barbara extended its lead with Avendano's 6-3, 6-3 win against Roothman at No. 3 and No. 34Rolland's 7-6, 6-2 victory over Auytayakul at No. 1. Liberty responded at No. 4 singles, where Sparks secured a straight-set win, 6-1, 7-6 (7), over Charlie Underwood. However, UC Santa Barbara clinched the contest with Brown's three-set triumph at No. 5, defeating Ekpenyong 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Robinson's match at No. 6 against Matei Gavrea was left unfinished with scores of 7-5, 2-5, while Morais also had an unfinished match at No. 2 against Arraez, with scores at 7-5, 3-6, 3-0.
Singles Competition
1. #34 Dominique Rolland (UCSB-M) def. Siwanat Auytayakul (LIBERTYM) 7-6, 6-2
2. R Santiago Arraez (LIBERTYM) vs. Diogo Morais (UCSB-M) 5-7, 6-3, 0-3, unfinished
3. Miguel Avendano (UCSB-M) def. Carl Roothman (LIBERTYM) 6-3, 6-3
4. Benjamin Sparks (LIBERTYM) def. Charlie Underwood (UCSB-M) 6-1, 7-6 (7-5)
5. Conrad Brown (UCSB-M) def. David Ekpenyong (LIBERTYM) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
6. Chase Robinson (LIBERTYM) vs. Matei Gavrea (UCSB-M) 7-5, 2-5, unfinished
Doubles Competition
1. #84 Miguel Avendano/Lucca Liu (UCSB-M) def. David Ekpenyong/Benjamin Sparks (LIBERTYM) 6-4
2. Guy Vorwerk/R Santiago Arraez (LIBERTYM) vs. Conrad Brown/Dominique Rolland (UCSB-M) 4-5, unfinished
3. Lorenzo Brunkow/Diogo Morais (UCSB-M) def. Chase Robinson/Siwanat Auytayakul (LIBERTYM) 6-4
Liberty 5-7; National ranking #51
UC Santa Barbara 12-3; National ranking #31
Order of Finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (3,4,1,5)
Flames News & Notes
Up Next
Liberty (5-7) returns for a chance to showcase in front of Flames fans for two dates this weekend. The Flames welcome Georgia State (3-5) on Friday at 2 p.m. before hosting William & Mary (3-4) on Sunday at 1 p.m.
.
Thoughts from Head Coach Derek Schwandt
"The team gave our best and came up a little short tonight versus a tough UCSB team. We are excited to keep building and thankful for an awesome challenge at this tournament."
#51 Liberty 4, #64 Washington 1
Liberty kicked off the tournament with a strong performance against Washington (5-5), winning by a 4-1 count. The team secured the doubles point with victories at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles. Rodrigo Santiago Arraez and Guy Vorwerk edged out Nikola Plavsic and Stephane Kamendje 7-6 (3) at No. 2, while Siwanat Auytayakul and Chase Robinson triumphed 6-2 over Hyeonseok Seo and Rohan Belday at No. 3. The match at No. 1 doubles featuring David Ekpenyong and Benjamin Sparks ended in a 6-6 stalemate.
In singles action, Liberty saw a split in the early matches. Arraez earned a point at No. 2 singles, defeating Kamendje 7-6(5), 6-4, and Robinson contributed a win at No. 6 singles against Daniel Bien, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Washington's Purohit claimed victory at No. 1 singles against Auytayakul with a 6-0, 5-7, 6-3 result. Liberty clinched the match with Ekpenyong's three-set win at No. 5 singles, overcoming Seo 6-3, 5-7, 6-1. The remaining matches at No. 3 and No. 4 singles were left unfinished, with Liberty's Carl Roothman and Sparks both in contention against Washington's Belday and Pearson, respectively.
Singles Competition
1. Soham Purohit (WASH) def. Siwanat Auytayakul (LIBERTYM) 6-0, 5-7, 6-3
2. R Santiago Arraez (LIBERTYM) def. Stephane Kamendje (WASH) 7-6 (7-5), 6-4
3. Carl Roothman (LIBERTYM) vs. Rohan Belday (WASH) 6-4, 4-6, 5-4, unfinished
4. Benjamin Sparks (LIBERTYM) vs. Brett Pearson (WASH) 7-6 (7-4), 5-6, unfinished
5. David Ekpenyong (LIBERTYM) def. Hyeonseok Seo (WASH) 6-3, 5-7, 6-1
6. Chase Robinson (LIBERTYM) def. Daniel Bien (WASH) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
Doubles Competition
1. David Ekpenyong/Benjamin Sparks (LIBERTYM) vs. #42 Brett Pearson/Soham Purohit (WASH) 6-6, unfinished
2. R Santiago Arraez/Guy Vorwerk (LIBERTYM) def. Nikola Plavsic/Stephane Kamendje (WASH) 7-6 (7-3)
3. Siwanat Auytayakul/Chase Robinson (LIBERTYM) def. Hyeonseok Seo/Rohan Belday (WASH) 6-2
Washington 5-5; National ranking #64
Liberty 5-5; National ranking #51
Order of Finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (2,6,1,5)
#11 Arizona State 4, #51 Liberty 0
Liberty's success was short-lived as they fell to the invite host, No. 11 Arizona State (12-3) the following day, falling with a 4-1 final score. Liberty managed a victory in the No. 2 doubles match. Liberty's Guy Vorwerk and Santiago Arraez claimed a 6-3 victory at No. 2 doubles against Arizona State's Ofek Shimanov and Kristof Minarik. The Sun Devils clinched the doubles point with wins at No. 3 and No. 1 doubles.
In singles play, Arizona State quickly extended its lead with decisive victories. Jelani Sarr clinched a 6-1, 6-1 win over Ekpenyong at No. 5, and Villard followed with a 6-2, 6-1 result against Sparks at No. 4. Matsuoka completed the singles sweep for Arizona State, defeating Roothman 6-3, 6-3 at No. 3. Matches on courts one, two, and six were left unfinished, with Auytayakul trailing Artnak 6-1, 3-5 at No. 1, Arraez leading Mathis Bondaz 7-5 at No. 2, and Robinson was edged by Ginat in a first-set tiebreak at No. 6, 7-6(8).
Singles Competition
1. Bor Artnak (ASU) vs. Siwanat Auytayakul (LIBERTYM) 6-1, 3-5, unfinished
2. Mathis Bondaz (ASU) vs. R Santiago Arraez (LIBERTYM) 5-7, unfinished
3. Shu Matsuoka (ASU) def. Carl Roothman (LIBERTYM) 6-3, 6-3
4. Nilels Villard (ASU) def. Benjamin Sparks (LIBERTYM) 6-2, 6-1
5. Jelani Sarr (ASU) def. David Ekpenyong (LIBERTYM) 6-1, 6-1
6. Roi Ginat (ASU) vs. Chase Robinson (LIBERTYM) 7-6 (8-6), unfinished
Doubles Competition
1. Bor Artnak/Shu Matsuoka (ASU) def. Benjamin Sparks/David Ekpenyong (LIBERTYM) 7-5
2. Guy Vorwerk/R Santiago Arraez (LIBERTYM) def. Ofek Shimanov/Kristof Minarik (ASU) 6-3
3. Nilels Villard/Roi Ginat (ASU) def. Chase Robinson/Siwanat Auytayakul (LIBERTYM) 6-3
Liberty 5-6; National ranking #51
Arizona State 12-3; National ranking #11
Order of Finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (4,5,3)
#31 UC Santa Barbara 4, #51 Liberty 1
Liberty looked to end the prestigious event with a victory, but fell despite a valiant effort facing UC Santa Barbara, where they were taken down 4-1. UC Santa Barbara secured the doubles point with victories in two of three matches. No. 84 Miguel Avendano and Lucca Liu clinched a 6-4 win over Liberty's Ekpenyong and Sparks at No. 1 doubles, while Lorenzo Brunkow and Diogo Morais defeated Robinson and Auytayakul 6-4 at No. 3. The match on court two, featuring Conrad Brown and Dominique Rolland against Vorwerk and Arraez, remained unfinished at 5-4.
In the singles round, UC Santa Barbara extended its lead with Avendano's 6-3, 6-3 win against Roothman at No. 3 and No. 34Rolland's 7-6, 6-2 victory over Auytayakul at No. 1. Liberty responded at No. 4 singles, where Sparks secured a straight-set win, 6-1, 7-6 (7), over Charlie Underwood. However, UC Santa Barbara clinched the contest with Brown's three-set triumph at No. 5, defeating Ekpenyong 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Robinson's match at No. 6 against Matei Gavrea was left unfinished with scores of 7-5, 2-5, while Morais also had an unfinished match at No. 2 against Arraez, with scores at 7-5, 3-6, 3-0.
Singles Competition
1. #34 Dominique Rolland (UCSB-M) def. Siwanat Auytayakul (LIBERTYM) 7-6, 6-2
2. R Santiago Arraez (LIBERTYM) vs. Diogo Morais (UCSB-M) 5-7, 6-3, 0-3, unfinished
3. Miguel Avendano (UCSB-M) def. Carl Roothman (LIBERTYM) 6-3, 6-3
4. Benjamin Sparks (LIBERTYM) def. Charlie Underwood (UCSB-M) 6-1, 7-6 (7-5)
5. Conrad Brown (UCSB-M) def. David Ekpenyong (LIBERTYM) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
6. Chase Robinson (LIBERTYM) vs. Matei Gavrea (UCSB-M) 7-5, 2-5, unfinished
Doubles Competition
1. #84 Miguel Avendano/Lucca Liu (UCSB-M) def. David Ekpenyong/Benjamin Sparks (LIBERTYM) 6-4
2. Guy Vorwerk/R Santiago Arraez (LIBERTYM) vs. Conrad Brown/Dominique Rolland (UCSB-M) 4-5, unfinished
3. Lorenzo Brunkow/Diogo Morais (UCSB-M) def. Chase Robinson/Siwanat Auytayakul (LIBERTYM) 6-4
Liberty 5-7; National ranking #51
UC Santa Barbara 12-3; National ranking #31
Order of Finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (3,4,1,5)
Flames News & Notes
- Liberty's No. 2 doubles position improved to 7-3 this season.
- Auytayakul made his first career appearances in the No. 1 singles position.
- Arraez debuted at No. 2 in the singles lineup after starting every match at No. 1 entering the weekend.
- Roothman was slotted in at No. 3 after making the majority of his appearances in the No. 2 slot.
Up Next
Liberty (5-7) returns for a chance to showcase in front of Flames fans for two dates this weekend. The Flames welcome Georgia State (3-5) on Friday at 2 p.m. before hosting William & Mary (3-4) on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,3
#1 Singles Match
12
Dominique Rolland / 0 [UCSB-M]
76
62
#2 Singles Match
1234
Diogo Morais / 0 [UCSB-M]
7330
560UF
#3 Singles Match
12
Miguel Avendano / 0 [UCSB-M]
66
33
#4 Singles Match
12
Charlie Underwood / 0 [UCSB-M]
16
67
#5 Singles Match
123
Conrad Brown / 0 [UCSB-M]
636
363
#6 Singles Match
123
Matei Gavrea / 0 [UCSB-M]
550
72UF
Order of Finish:
3,4,1,5
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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