Nationally 50th-ranked Mount Olive took the lead in doubles play, but Limestone captured the first three singles matches and went on to defeat the Trojans 5-4 in Conference Carolinas men's tennis Sunday at Gaffney, S.C. With the loss, Mount Olive finishes third in the regular season standings and will be the No. 3 seed in this weekend's conference tournament.
Mount Olive (12-5 overall, 8-2 Conference Carolinas) led 2-1 after doubles as Edgar Bub and Rik Wolthuis won 9-8 at No. 1 doubles, while Gabriel Santana and Brahm Moolman posted an 8-3 win at No. 3 doubles. But Limestone (15-7, 9-1) posted wins at Nos. 1, 2 and 3 singles to take a 4-3 lead, and won at No. 5 singles to clinch the team victory.
Akio Mariano won at No. 4 and Moolman won at No. 6 singles.
Sunday's contest was a rematch of the championship match at last year's conference tournament, won by Mount Olive. Including last year's regular season match, the last three meetings between the Trojans and the Saints have been decided by 5-4 scores.
Mount Olive begins defense of its conference championship Friday as the Trojans take on No. 6 seed Erskine in the first round of the 2013 Conference Carolinas Men's Tennis Tournament at Sumter, S.C. The Trojans defeated Erskine 7-2 March 2. The championship match is scheduled for Sunday with the winner advancing to the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional.
Limestone 5, Mount Olive 4
Singles
1. Carlos Yanes (LC) def. Edgar Bub (MOC) 6-3, 2-6, 6-1
2. Rafael Ferla (LC) def. Gabriel Santana (MOC) 6-2, 7-5
3. Lucas Guinski (LC) def. Henric Falkenburg (MOC) 6-2, 7-5
4. Akio Mariano (MOC) def. Antoine Le Dore (LC) 6-4, 7-6
5. Benji Lascari Diaz (LC) def. Stan Roffe (MOC) 6-4, 6-3
6. Brahm Moolman (MOC) def. Daniel Lopez (LC) 5-7, 6-3, 1-0
Doubles
1. Edgar Bub/Rik Wolthuis (MOC) def. #11 Carlos Yanes/Rafael Ferla (LC) 9-8
2. Antoine Le Dore/Lucas Guinski (LC) def. Henric Falkenburg/Akio Mariano (MOC) 8-3
3. Gabriel Santana/Brahm Moolman (MOC) def. Daniel Lopez/Benji Lascari Diaz (LC) 8-3
Records
Mount Olive 12-5, 8-2 Conference Carolinas
Limestone 15-7, 9-1 Conference Carolinas
T-5:02 A-112