Bears Fall To Samford In Road Finale

Friday, April 12

Birmingham, Ala.

3 p.m.

Mercer University

Samford

4/12/2024 8:52:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score Box Score

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Home-standing Samford grabbed the early doubles point, then picked up victories on four courts in singles play, to turn back visiting Mercer, 5-2, in Southern Conference men's tennis action on Friday afternoon in central Alabama.

It was just the second setback in the last eight matches for the Bears (7-11, 4-2 SoCon) who will wrap up their regular season schedule on Sunday against league rival Furman at the LeRoy Peddy Tennis Center. The Bulldogs (13-7, 6-1) improved to 8-2 at home this season with the result, and wrapped up the No. 2 seed in next week's SoCon Tournament in Chattanooga, Tenn.

MU's tandem of sophomore Nemanja Stefanovic and junior Marceau Fouilhoux picked up its seventh doubles win of the spring campaign with a 6-2 triumph on court No. 2, but the Bulldogs clinched the doubles point by yielding just four games on the other two courts, including a 6-1 decision at No. 1 doubles.

Senior Samuel Barrow used a dominant 6-0 win in the third and deciding set on court No. 4 to pick up his team-leading fifth SoCon singles win of the spring, and Stefanovic won a tiebeaker in his opening set at No. 1 singles, then put Maxwell Giddens away with a 10-6 victory in a third-set tiebreak.

Mercer will battle Furman (11-11, 4-2) in a Senior Day contest on Sunday at the LeRoy Peddy Tennis Center. First serves are scheduled for noon and admission is free.