WEST CHESTER, PA – In their first action of a very unusual season, the St. Thomas Aquinas College men’s tennis team defeated their opponents from West Chester University with a 6-1 on Thursday. The shorthanded Spartans competed with only five players on the day, but that proved to be just enough to earn their first victory of the year.
Needing to win both doubles matches to secure the doubles point, the Spartans took down the Golden Rams with 6-4 and 6-3 scores at first and second doubles, respectively. Three newcomers picked up their first career wins, with Kas Roosch ’21 (Hertogenbosch, Netherlands) and Ivan Laiz ’24 (La Orotava, Spain) pairing up at the top position, and Lennart Lehmann ’24 (Dusseldorf, Germany) pairing with returner Alvaro Barranco ’21 (Lleida, Spain) at the second spot.
Carrying momentum into singles play, Lehmann went unblemished on the day with a 6-1, 6-0 win at first singles. Roosch quickly followed suit, taking a second singles win with 6-1, 6-1 straight set victory. Not wanting to be outdone, Barranco would take the clincher at third singles with a 6-1, 6-2 score.
Graduate student Enej Hasicevic ’20 ’21 (Palma de Mallorca, Spain) earned his 90th career victory with a 6-2, 6-0 fifth singles triumph. The win moves him into sole possession of third place in program history for combined singles and doubles wins. Laiz would round out the scoring for STAC with a 6-3, 6-2 win at fourth singles.
The Spartans are next up this weekend, as they play host to ECC foe Daemen on Saturday before heading to ECC favorite Queens on Sunday.
4/- St. Thomas Aquinas College 6, West Chester University 1
Doubles
1. Kas Roosch/Ivan Laiz (STAC) def. Andre Zequeira/Chris Succi (WCU) – 6-4
2. Lennart Lehmann/Alvaro Barranco (STAC) def. Nic Balaci/Carlos DeJesus-Morales (WCU) – 6-3
3. Christoph Baroudi/Lucien DeCecco (WCU) def. No Player/No Player (STAC)
Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2*
Singles
1. Lennart Lehmann (STAC) def. Andre Zequeira (WCU) – 6-1, 6-0
2. Kas Roosch (STAC) def. Chris Succi (WCU) – 6-1, 6-1
3. Alvaro Barranco (STAC) def. Carlos DeJesus-Morales (WCU) – 6-1, 6-2
4. Ivan Laiz (STAC) def. Nic Balaci (WCU) – 6-3, 6-2
5. Enej Hasicevic (STAC) def. Brett Spano (WCU) – 6-0, 6-2
6. Lucien DeCecco (WCU) def. No Player (STAC)
Order of Finish: 6, 1, 2, 3*, 5, 4
4/- STAC – 1-0 (0-0 ECC)
WCU – 1-6 (1-4 PSAC)