Lions and Lady Lions Devour Tigers and Lady Tigers in Men’s and Women’s Tennis

Hanceville, AL—Marion Military Institute's men's and women's tennis teams were pummeled by Wallace State Community College-Hanceville on Tuesday afternoon, suffering identical 8-1 losses.  MMI's Tom Chairs and Ksenia Vasilyev won their matches by identical 6-4, 6-1 scores to avert the shutouts.

In the men's match, Chairs dug himself out of a 3-4 hole to claim the first set, 6-4, and then went on to win the deciding set, 6-1, at No. 2 singles; while in the women's match, Vasilyev started off slowly at the No. 1 singles spot to take the first set, 6-4, and then came out swinging in the second set, allowing her opponent, Nicole Barron, only one game.

"Once Tom and Ksenia found their rhythm, they proved to be unstoppable," said MMI coach Charles Wright.  "Tom probably played his best tennis of the season in the second set.  He was hitting solidly from both wings.  Ksenia?  Well, she just started to wallop the tar out of the ball and didn't miss much in the latter half of the first set and the entire second set."

The Lady Tigers' next opponent is Snead State Community College.  That match is slated to start at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, March 1.  Both teams return home for a 1:00 p.m. match on Thursday, March 7 versus Coastal Alabama Community College.