Men's Tennis Cages Eagles 4-1 For Second Straight Sun Belt Title
The 56th-ranked Old Dominion Men’s Tennis team won four straight singles matches, including the last two points from freshmen, to rally and defeat 63rd-ranked Georgia Southern 4-1 on Sunday to claim the 2024 Sun Belt Conference Tournament title at the Rome Tennis Center.
ROME, Ga. – The 56th-ranked Old Dominion Men’s Tennis team won four straight singles matches, including the last two points from freshmen, to rally and defeat 63rd-ranked Georgia Southern 4-1 on Sunday to claim the 2024 Sun Belt Conference Tournament title at the Rome Tennis Center.
The championship, their second in a row, earns them the league’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. They’ll learn of their opponent and place on April 29 with the opening round scheduled for the first weekend of May. Now with a 20-7 record, it marks the first 20-win season for ODU since 2016 when they finished 21-5.
“What a worthy final, the level from both teams was super high. We talked all year that we need to win a big match after losing doubles and doing it at the biggest match of the year is beyond impressive. Everybody clicked today and never backed down. Two freshmen putting a point on the board and even clinching is crazy. I'm just proud of our team and for ODU,” said ODU Head Coach Dominik Mueller.
Georgia Southern (15-9) took the doubles point with wins at the one and three spots. ODU got the first doubles win behind Cosme Rolland de Ravel and Codie van Schalkwyk with a 6-0 victory over Judson Blair and Pierre Mouesca at the two spot.
ODU got the comeback started as Maxime Mareschal-Hay took a 6-3, 6-0 win over Blair at No. 5 to level the match at one all. Codie van Schalkwyk gave the Monarchs a 2-1 lead with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 win over Mouesca at No. 4.
Freshman Aryan Saleh put ODU within a point taking a 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 win over Laurent Julia Calac at No. 6 to lead 3-1. Connor van Schalkwyk locked up the 2024 crown in a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Pol del Castillo at the two spot.
ODU was ahead in one of the two matches that went unfinished as Rolland de Ravel held a 6-0, 3-6, 5-2 lead when the match was clinched.
Tennis Match Results
Old Dominion vs Georgia Southern
4/21/2024 at Rome, Ga.
(Rome Tennis Center)
#56 Old Dominion 4, #63 Georgia Southern 1
Singles competition
1. Dimitris Paliouras (GS) vs. Cosme Rolland DeRavel (ODU) 0-6, 6-3, 2-5, unfinished
2. Connor van Schalkwyk (ODU) def. Pol del Castillo (GS) 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
3. Aaron James Williams (GS) vs. Yanis Moundir (ODU) 7-5, 4-6, 4-3, unfinished
4. Codie van Schalkwyk (ODU) def. Pierre Mouesca (GS) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4
5. Maxime Mareschal-Hay (ODU) def. Judson Blair (GS) 6-3, 6-0
6. Aryan Saleh (ODU) def. Laurent Julia Calac (GS) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Dimitris Paliouras/Pol del Castillo (GS) def. Connor van Schalkwyk/Jakob Cadonau (ODU) 6-4
2. CosmeRolland DeRavel/Codie van Schalkwyk (ODU) def. Judson Blair/Pierre Mouesca (GS) 6-0
3. Laurent Julia Calac/Aaron James Williams (GS) def. Yanis Moundir/Maxime Mareschal-Hay (ODU) 6-3
Match Notes:
Old Dominion 20-7; National ranking #56
Georgia Southern 15-9; National ranking #63
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (5,4,6,2)
T-3:10 A-100