Thursday, 03/08/2012

RICHMOND, Va. – The common man struggles through Monday mornings.

The VCU men's tennis squad is not like the common man as they blasted through their Monday morning match with a talented Nebraska team, 4-1. With the win, the Rams improve to 12-2 on the year and a perfect 10-0 inside the Thalhimer Tennis Center.

Doubles looked to be the toughest with the Cornhuskers sporting the two top-25 ranked doubles tandems entering Monday's showdown with the Rams. However, VCU would have none of it, dominating from the start. Led by the top singles duo of Alexis Heugas and Antoine Baroz, who toppled the fifth-ranked duo of Christopher Aumueller and Benedikt Lindheim, 8-5, the Rams swept the doubles action to grab an early 1-0 lead.

VCU's momentum carried into singles action where sophomore Max Wennakoski pounded the 54th-ranked Lindheim  at second doubles, 7-6 (1), 6-2. Heugas followed by toppling 60th-ranked Aumueller, 6-0, 6-4 at the top singles spot.

Sophomore Antoine Baroz wrapped up the match for VCU with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Robert Schulze at the fourth singles spot.

The Rams have now won seven of their past eight matches and head to Raleigh, N.C. on Wednesday afternoon for a showdown with ACC foe, N.C. State. First serve is set for 2:30 p.m.

VCU 4, Nebraska 1

Singles
#1 – Alexis Heugas (VCU) d. #60 Christopher Aumueller (NU), 6-4, 6-4
#2 – Max Wennakoski (VCU) d. #54 Benedikt Lindheim (NU), 7-6 (1), 6-2
#3 – Andre Stenger (NU) d. Filip Svensson (VCU), 6-2, 6-3
#4 – Antoine Baroz (VCU) d. Robert Schulze (NU), 6-4, 6-1
#5 – Alejandro Argente (VCU) v. Stefan Gollner (NU), 1-2, DNF
#6 – Jaime Vazquez (VCU) v. Eric Sock (NU), 3-0, DNF

Doubles
#1 – Heugas/Baroz (VCU) d. #5 Aumueller/Lindheim (NU), 8-5
#2 – Svensson/Wennakoski (VCU) d. #22 Stenger/Schulze (NU), 8-5
#3 – Argente/Vazquez (VCU) d. Gollner/Sock (NU), 8-2