PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. – The Benedict College men's tennis team won their fifth consecutive SIAC Men's Tennis Championship with a 4-2 victory over Spring Hill College on Tuesday afternoon at the Peachtree City Tennis Center.
The Tigers avenged two regular-season losses to the Badgers with Taj Ballantyne winning a tough 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 match at No. 6 singles to clinch the victory.
The Tigers improve to 12-9 overall and will now advance to the NCAA Tournament, which begins May 21 and concludes with the national championship on May 24 in Altamonte, Fla.
Benedict started by earning the doubles point by winning two of the three doubles matches. Batsiraii Saurombe and Quentin Eloise won the deciding match at No. 3 doubles with a 7-6 victory over Spring Hill's team of Ulf Grosseloh and Chris Mines.
Eloise took a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Alex Demel at No. 3 singles and Nikola Aleksic won 6-4, 6-3 at No. 4 singles. Spring Hill won at No. 1 and No. 2 singles. Ballantyne's win clinched the win for the Tigers.
Day 2 Results
| Men’s Tennis |
Tuesday, April 16 | 1 p.m.
Morehouse (4) def. Tuskegee (0)
Singles
- Justin Samples (MHC) vs. Jabari Hargrove (TU), (DNF)
- Phillip Smith (MHC) vs. Jabari Cole (TU), (DNF)
- Shelton Sutton (MHC) def. Tyler Mitchell (TU), 6-1,6-0
- Julian Rheems (MHC) vs. Samuel Lewis (TU), (DNF)
- Maurice Pugh (MHC) def. Jadasee Patterson (TU), 6-4, 6-1
- Vernard Littles (MHC) def. Rithy Sry (TU), 6-0, 6-1
Doubles
- Justin Samples/Phillip Smith (MHC) def. Jabari Hargrove/Jabari Cole (TU), 6-1
- Shelton Sutton/ Maurice Pugh (MHC) def. Tyler Mitchell/ Samuel Lewis (TU), 6-2
- Julian Rheams/Vernard Littles (MHC) def. Rithy Sry/Jadasee Patterson (TU), 5-4
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Tuesday, April 16 | 3 p.m.
Benedict (4) def. Spring Hill (2)
Singles
- Cedric Nitz (SHC) def. Batsiraii Saurombe (BC), 6-1, 7-5
- Ulf Grosseloh (SHC) def. Armando Flores (BC), 6-0, 6-0
- Quentin Eloise (BC) def. Alex Demel (SHC), 6-4, 6-0
- Nikola Aleksic (BC) def. Chris Mines (SHC), 6-4, 6-3
- Kurt Shiell (SHC) vs. Julius Mutetwa (BC), (DNF)
- Taj Ballantyne (BC) def. Til Behrendt (SHC), 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
Doubles
- Cedric Nitz/Kurt Shiell (SHC) def. Armando Flores/Nikola Aleksic, 6-2
- Julius Mutetwa/ Taj Ballantyne (BC) def. Til Behrendt/Alex Demel (SHC) 6-4
- Batsiraii Saurombe/ Quentin Eloise def. Ulf Grosseloh/Chris Mines (SHC), 7-6
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Men's Tennis All-Tournament Team
| Men’s Tennis |
Singles
- Taj Ballantyne, Benedict
- Quentin Eloise, Benedict
- Nikola Aleksic, Benedict
- Cedric Nitz, Spring Hill
- Ulf Grosseloh, Spring Hill
- Justin Samples, Morehouse
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Doubles
- Julius Mutetwa/TajBallantyne, Benedict
- Batsiraii Saurombe/Quentin Eloise, Benedict
- Cedric Nitz/Kurt Shiell, Spring Hill
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