Men's Tennis Captures Horizon League South Division Title with 7-0 Sweep of Southern Indiana

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Extending its winning streak to 11 and improving to 9-0 in Horizon League play, the Belmont University men's tennis team claimed its second-straight regular season conference championship with a 7-0 shellacking of Southern Indiana Sunday afternoon at the Beaman Family Tennis Complex. The Bruins, who won their program-record 18th match of the year, earned their third consecutive sweep to secure the 2023 Horizon League South Division title.
 
The conference regular season championship is Belmont's fifth in program history. The Bruins won the 2022 Ohio Valley Conference regular season crown last spring in their final year in the league.
 
With Sunday's victory, Belmont will be the top seed in the South Division at the upcoming Horizon League Tournament, which will be held Friday-Sunday, April 28-30 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
 
The Bruins were consistent throughout their lineup against the visiting Screaming Eagles (5-14, 1-6 Horizon) and didn't drop a single set. Doubles action provided the most competitive play of the afternoon as Belmont took the doubles point thanks to a gritty 7-5 win by junior Tomas Luis and sophomore Ian Cruz at the third spot against Southern Indiana's Ruben Emmerson-Hiini and Quinten Gillespie. The tandem of junior Alfred Wallin and senior Jack Randall cruised to a 6-2 triumph over the Screaming Eagles' Yahor Bahdanovich and Alfrendo Vogelaar on court two.
 
The nationally-ranked duo of graduate student Marko Ilic and junior Riccardo Trione led Southern Indiana's Omar ElSamahy and Lucas Sakamaki 6-5 at the No. 1 position when Luis and Cruz finished off the doubles point.
 
Cruz then made quick work of Sakamaki at No. 3 singles (6-1, 6-1) to put the Bruins up 2-0. Moments later, Trione topped Emmerson-Hiini 6-0, 6-4 at the fourth flight before sophomore Gabriel Sardo dispatched Bahdanovich 6-2, 6-2 on court five to clinch the match.
 
Luis held off ElSamahy 6-4, 6-4 at the second spot and Randall battled past the Screaming Eagles' Dylan Brown, 6-4, 6-3, at No. 6 singles. At the top of the lineup, Wallin won his 12th-straight match and first at the No. 1 position with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph over Vogelaar.
 
Up Next
Belmont closes out the regular season next Friday at crosstown conference adversary Tennessee State. First serve from the TSU Tennis Complex in the Music City is slated for 2 p.m. The Bruins have earned a first-round bye in the 2023 Horizon League Men's Tennis Championship and are guaranteed a spot in the semifinals, which will be played on Saturday, April 29 at the Varsity Tennis Center in Michigan.
 
Follow Belmont men's tennis on social media – @BelmontMTennis on Twitter and @belmontmtennis on Instagram – for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.