NEW ORLEANS, La. - The University of Mobile Men's and Women's Tennis teams traveled to New Orleans, La. on Friday, Feb. 25 for two matches, one against a conference opponent and the other being a non-conference match. Mobile battled conference member Loyola to start the day and later faced non-conference foe Dillard University on Friday. In the four matches played on the long day, two on the men's side and two on the women's side, the Rams came away with three wins.
W TEN Recap - Mobile 3, Loyola (La.) 4 | Mobile 6, Dillard 1
The Rams fell to the Wolf Pack of Loyola in a close match 4-3 in the team's first conference match of the year. The loss is the first match defeat for Mobile on the season. Loyola managed to take two of three doubles matches for the point which was the deciding point of the match. Both teams split the singles matches with three wins each.
The lone doubles win for Mobile came from Emily John and Luana Wild. John and Wild won their doubles match from the third slot in the lineup, 7-5. Emily John went on to win her singles match from sixth spot in the lineup, 6-0, 6-3. Joining John with singles victories were Sofija Hrovat (3) and Alina Schweizer (5). Hrovat won her match 6-1, 6-3 while Schweizer won, 6-1, 6-1.
Following Mobile's first loss of the season, the Rams bounced back with a 6-1 victory over Dillard University. Mobile won two doubles matches for the point, one being a default win for the Rams. In singles action, the Rams won five of the six singles matches played, two coming from default victories.
Luana Wild and Emily John won their doubles match 6-2 and both Wild and John earned default wins in singles matches. In her return to the court on Friday, Maria Jose Reynaldo Toledo won her singles match 6-2, 6-1 while Sofija Hrovat and Andrea Sanchez joined Reynaldo Toldeo with singles wins. Hrovat won 6-0, 6-0 and Sanchez won, 6-1, 6-2.
Entering Friday's action, Mobile sat just outside the NAIA Women's Tennis Top 25, receiving votes for entry. Mobile currently has a 3-1 overall record with a 0-1 conference record following Friday's matches.
M TEN Recap - Mobile 4, Loyola (La.) 3 | Mobile 6, Dillard 1
On the men's side, the Rams won a nail biter with Loyola to start the afternoon. Mobile currently ranks No. 13 in the latest NAIA Men's Tennis Top 25 Coaches' poll and earned a hard-fought victory over the Wolf Pack and later Dillard to stay undefeated.
The Wolf Pack of Loyola started the match with Mobile earning two wins in doubles action. Boris Klingebiel and Joao Pedro Okano won the lone doubles victor for Mobile with a 6-2 win. In singles play, Mobile squeaked by Loyola by taking four singles matches. Okano won his singles match from the first slot in the lineup, 6-4, 7-5. Nicolas Mougaillard, Santiago Diloreto, and Sergio Ruiz Ramiro won their singles matches from the four, five, and six slots in the lineup to give Mobile the match win, 4-3.
Later, the Rams controlled the evening match with Dillard by sweeping the three doubles matches and taking five of six singles matches.
Earning wins for Mobile in doubles was Boris Klingebiel / Joao Pedro Okano, Nicolas Mougaillard / Santiago Diloreto, and Sergio Ruiz Ramiro / Aoi Kambara. Ruiz Ramiro's and Kambara's doubles match did not finish with the Rams out on top, 4-2.
In singles play, Mobile top five seeds earned wins. Earning victories in singles against Dillard was Okano, Klingebiel, Ruiz Ramiro, Kambara, and Santiago Reyna.
With a big conference win and non-conference victory on Friday, the No. 13 Rams currently sit with a 4-0 record and 1-0 SSAC record.
Three-Match Day Upcoming
Both tennis teams from the University of Mobile are set to return to the court on Saturday, Mar. 5 in Jackson, Miss. The Rams in for a long day on Saturday as both teams are scheduled to play three matches each.
Mobile begins the day at 9:00 a.m. CT with a non-conference match against Tougaloo College and will following that match with another non-conference match against Rust College at 12:00 p.m. CT. The final opponent on the day is still currently to be announced.
About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.
For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
