DENTON, Texas - Louisiana-Lafayette advanced to the Sun Belt Conference semifinals with a 4-2 win on Saturday morning over the University of New Orleans in a quarterfinal match that was pushed back a day due to inclement weather.
The third-seeded Ragin' Cajuns improved to 16-6 on the season after beating sixth-seed UNO (12-8) for the second time this season.
ULL was forced to rally in singles' play after losing the doubles' point to the Privateers, who had failed to win the doubles' point in their previous three matches.
The No. 55 ranked doubles' team of Ben Smith and Calvin Kemp were the first winners on the day, defeating Neil Schneider and Bradley Bristow 8-0 at No. 1. The Ragin' Cajuns knotted the doubles' at one match apiece when Javier Pulgar and Piotr Olechowski picked up a 9-8 win over Vinay Kamineni and Jose Gaspar 9-8 on the No. 3 court.
With the doubles' point on the line, Guilherme Rebolo and Oliver Cuthill emerged victorious for the Privateers at No. 2, defeating Arlen Domoney and Piotr Banas 9-8 at No. 2.
As play turned to singles' competition, ULL won the first two matches. Mandl defeated Cuthill 6-1, 6-2 at No. 6 and Banas dispatched Kemp 6-3, 7-5 at No. 1.
Smith put UNO on the board for the final time of the day, winning a 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 match over Olechowski.
"Ben led everyone today and performed very well to close out the season," said head coach Burzis Kanga. "He brought to the court his leadership, both in singles and doubles."
Rebolo had a chance to push the Privateers within one match of winning the dual, but fell 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 at No. 4 to Schneider. A win by Pulgar at No. 2 over Kamineni 6-4, 6-7, 6-4 ended the match in the favor of the Ragin' Cajuns after four hours and 30 minutes of tennis.
"I think we competed well," said Kanga. "We get ready to host the conference tournament next year and we build on this year."
"The feedback I get from the other coaches in this league is that they are in awe of what we accomplished as at first-year program."
ULL will play second-seeded Florida Atlantic (15-6) at 6:30 p.m. after the Owls advanced with a 4-1 win earlier in the day against Troy. The nationally ranked doubles' tandem of Kemp and Smith have an outside shot of making the NCAA tournament pending the next release of the ITA/Campbell Soup rankings, which will be released Apr. 28.
#83 Louisiana-Lafayette 4, #105 New Orleans 2
Apr 18, 2009 at Denton, Texas
Singles competition
1. Banas, Piotr (ULL) def. Calvin Kemp (UNO) 6-3, 7-6
2. Pulgar, Javier (ULL) def. Vinay Kamineni (UNO) 6-4, 6-7, 6-4
3. Ben Smith (UNO) def. Olechowski, Piotr (ULL) 7-5, 2-6, 6-2
4. Schneider, Neil (ULL) def. Guilherme Rebolo (UNO) 2-6, 6-1, 7-6
5. Domoney, Arlen (ULL) def. Jose Gaspar (UNO) 5-7, 5-3, unfinished
6. Mandl, Yanick (ULL) vs. Oliver Cuthill (UNO) 6-1, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. #55 Ben Smith/Calvin Kemp (UNO) def. Schneider, Neil/Bristow, Bradley (ULL) 8-0
2. Guilherme Rebolo/Oliver Cuthill (UNO) def. Banas, Piotr/Domoney, Arlen (ULL) 9-8
3. Olechowski, Piotr/Pulgar, Javier (ULL) def. Vinay Kamineni/Jose Gaspar (UNO) 9-8
Match Notes:
New Orleans 12-8; National ranking #105
Louisiana-Lafayette 14-6; National ranking #83
Sun Belt Conference Tournament First-Round Match
Order of finish: Doubles 1, 3, 2 ... Singles 6, 1, 3, 4, 2, (5 unfinished)
T-4:30
