ETSU captures 14 singles wins in North Carolina

CARY/WILMINGTON, N.C. (Sept. 19, 2021) – The ETSU Men’s Tennis team concluded its first fall event of the season as the Bucs completed their participation in both the Duke Bonk Invite and the Seahawk Invitational. The Bucs sent four student-athletes to Cary, N.C. (Duke), while placing four more in Wilmington, N.C. (UNCW).

ETSU had a really strong showing in Duke, combining for a 10-5 singles record and a 3-3 doubles mark. Frazier Rengifo (Cali, Colombia) and Thiago Pernas (Buenos Aires, Argentina) each posted a 3-1 singles record, with Pernas winning each of his final three singles matches. Pernas claimed the consolation draw with straight-set wins over Joseph Wayand (NC State), Gray Voelzke (VCU) and Connor Enslin (Gardner-Webb).

Making his ETSU debut, Hugo Lobo (Toulon, France) finished with a 2-1 singles mark, falling in the C Draw championship to Liberty’s Goncalo Ferreira (6-3, 6-2). Juan Sebastian Zabala (Guayaquil, Ecuador) posted a 2-2 singles record in Durham with wins over Martins Rocens of NC State (7-5, 7-6(9)) and Deji Thomas-Smith of Liberty (6-0, 3-6, 6-4).

Zabala and Pernas captured the consolation bracket doubles victory with a 7-6(4) win over Rocens and Wayand of NC State.

Over in Wilmington, the Bucs were able to see four new faces on the court, including Francisco Lamas (Maracay, Venezuela) who redshirted last season as a true freshman. All four Buccaneers finished 1-2 in singles play, earning four combined wins. Lamas and Juan Jose Vargas (North Santander, Colombia) picked up the lone doubles win in Wilmington, defeating UNCW’s Reece Falck and Samuel De Felipe, 7-6(7).

The Bucs will be back in action in the ITA Regionals in Knoxville, Tenn. beginning on Thursday, Sept. 23. The ITA Regionals will conclude on Monday, Sept. 27.

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For more information on Buccaneer men’s tennis visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the men’s tennis page.