Eagles Soar to Easy Win in Men’s Tennis

Meridian, MS—The Marion Military Institute Tigers fell prey to the Meridian Community College Eagles, 9-0, in a Sunday morning match at the Northeast Park Tennis Center.

The Eagles swept the Tigers in doubles play, with Marko Puric/Max Mauney, Chase Rigdon/Ethan Clopton, and Guillermo Martin-Tunon/Michael Phelps picking up the three doubles points.  MMI's Dominique Ingram and Vance Llewellyn played a nice match at No. 2 doubles before falling 8-4.

"Although we didn't play too well in doubles, we hung in all three doubles matches," said MMI coach Charles Wright.  "I thought Dominique and Vance played a solid match.  If they could have played a little bit smarter, that match could have gone either way."

MMI didn't fare any better in singles competition, as the Eagles blanked the Tigers again.  Meridian's Puric led the way with a 6-3, 6-1 win over MMI's Blake Brown at No. 1 singles.   

MMI's Vance Llewellyn played the match of his career in a losing effort.  He battled his way to a first-set tiebreaker and then exploded in the tiebreaker, taking all but three of the ten points played.

"I thought Vance played extraordinarily well today," Wright said.  "For only playing competitively for two years and picking up a tennis racket seriously for the first time in high school, he played a fantastic match.  Even if he had been playing longer, that would have been a tremendous effort.  He is becoming an explosive, all-around player."  

The Tigers will stay on the road to play Wallace State Community College-Hanceville on Tuesday, February 26, with first serves expected to fly at noon.