Rafael Marques Da Silva

2022-23 (Jr.)

Named to the ASUN All-Conference first team
Recognized with a No. 99 ITA singles national ranking on Feb. 9
Honored with ASUN Player of the Week honors on March 29, the fifth of his career
Totaled a 16-9 singles and a 15-9 doubles record
Topped VCU’s Mattisse Bobichon 6-7, (2-7), 6-2, 7-6 (8-6) at the ITA Atlantic Regional (Oct. 23)
Finished fall season with three straight victories including triumphs over Clemson’s Spencer Whitaker (3-6, 6-4, 6-3) and Penn State’s Miko Eala (5-7, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4)
Put together a spring season with a 14-7 (6-1 ASUN) singles and 10-5 (5-1 ASUN) record
Received ASUN player of the Week after a 4-0 stint with triumphs over North Alabama and Jacksonville State
Third on team with six ASUN victories
Played singles matches across two positions, going 1-1 from No. 1 and 7-5 from No. 2
Won four straight doubles matches, three with partner Beau Pelletier and one with Thando Longwe-Smit
Played doubles matches across two positions, going 2-0 from No. 2 and 8-5 from No. 3

2021-22 (So.)

Voted ASUN Doubles Pair of the Year alongside partner Nicaise Muamba
Named to VaSID All-State doubles second team with Muamba
Selected to ASUN All-Conference second team
Tied for team lead with 19 total doubles victories on the year, posted 14-7 overall record with Muamba
Went 11-7 (8-4 No. 1, 3-3 No. 2) in spring doubles matches with Muamba, including a 5-1 ASUN mark
Won doubles matches with five different partners: Muamba (14), Josh Wilson (2), Omar El Kadi (1), Zion Heaven (1) and Thando Longwe-Smit (1)
Claimed 20 total singles matches (first 20-win season) on the year, 11 in the spring and nine in the fall
Posted 6-2 ASUN singles mark
Won 10 matches at No. 3 singles and one in the No. 2 slot
Had a trio of three-match winning streaks in singles during year
Defeated No. 75 Kennesaw State’s Harvey Conway in straight sets (6-1, 6-1) on court three in the ASUN semifinals, helping the Flames advance to the championship match with a 4-0 sweep of the Owls
Went 3-0 in singles and Elon Fall Invitational (Sept. 24-26) and was also 3-0 at the Liberty Spring Hidden Dual (Jan. 14-15)

Spring 2021 (Fr.)

Named ASUN Men’s Tennis Championship MVP, posting a perfect 6-0 overall record in his first ASUN Championship (3-0 No. 2 singles, 3-0 No. 2 doubles with Nicaise Muamba)
Honored on ASUN All-Conference first team
Received VaSID All-State singles first team honors
Garnered inclusion on ASUN All-Freshman team
Selected to ASUN All-Tournament team
Garnered inclusion on ASUN Academic Honor Roll
Posted 19-6 singles mark during spring campaign, leading the Flames in singles victories
Finished year as the No. 13-ranked singles player in the final 2021 Oracle/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division I Regional Rankings.
Earned first career ranked singles win, a two-set victory (6-3, 6-3) over Charlotte’s No. 88 Ignasi de Rueda on April 11 at the Liberty Tennis Complex
Posted 9-2 mark at No. 2 singles and also had two victories at No. 1, six victories at No. 3 and four victories at No. 4.
Scored match-clinching fourth point against Kennesaw State in ASUN Men’s Tennis Championship semifinals, defeating Raul Garcia 6-4, 6-3 at No. 2 singles
Recorded 17 total doubles wins, tied for most on the team
Posted 16-5 record (most doubles wins as a unit on the team) with doubles partner Nicaise Muamba (9-3 record at No. 2, 7-2 record at No. 3)
*Note: Liberty did not compete in a fall 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2019-20 (Fr.)

Joined the team at the start of spring semester
Led all Flames players with 10 spring singles triumphs
Posted a 10-3 spring singles mark, including a 9-3 record in the No. 5 position and a 1-0 record in the No. 2 slot
Won 10 straight singles contests between Jan. 26-March 7, four of which came in three sets
Picked up victories against strong opponents from VCU, Virginia Tech, Old Dominion, Penn State, Elon and Virginia
Went 2-2 in doubles match in the spring, winning one match with Ian Sturgill (Jan. 26 vs. North Carolina A&T) and the other with Nicaise Muamba (March 7 vs. Bellarmine)
Clinched the match for Liberty with a 6-4, 6-4 decision over Ernest Rocabert of Longwood, Jan. 31 in an eventual 6-1 Flames win
Evened up the match at 3-3 at Virginia Tech by pulling out a three-set win (6-2, 3-6, 6-3) over the Hokies’ Chase Bernstine at No. 5 singles, Feb. 9 in an eventual 4-3 Flames victory
*Note: Remainder of the season was cancelled on March 13, 2020 due to health concerns related to the COVID-19 virus

Prep