Nicholls men’s tennis team stretches winning streak to close out regular season in style

The seniors on the Nicholls men’s tennis team gave themselves a celebratory sendoff by stretching their winning streak to six straight matches with a 4-0 Senior Day win over Loyola on Saturday afternoon at the Thibodaux Regional Sports Complex to close out the regular season.

Honored before the start of play were seniors with international flair in Omar Morsy and Ammar Fekery, both of Egypt, Harry Collins of England, Antonio Sasso of Brazil, Daniel Banov of Bulgaria, and Prassan Pravin Bagade of India.

Nicholls won the match in quick fashion, gaining the point from doubles play to get things started and winning the first three singles matches to be decided on the day.

The Nicholls No. 3 doubles team of Collins and freshman Kotaro Matsumura got the Colonels off to a good start with a 6-3 win over the Loyola duo of Fernando Piestun and Diego Rodriguez.

Morsy and sophomore Quentin Lamothe as the No. 1 Nicholls doubles team defeated the duo of Samuel Motazed and Spencer Match, also 6-3.

By winning the first two matches, the final doubles match went unfinished.

Lamothe, on Court 3, gave the Colonels their first singles win when he topped Hippolyte Preville, 6-4, 6-0.

On Court 1, Morsy took care of business with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Remus Hebhang-Balan.

Morsy said his usual arsenal was working well for him Saturday.

“The serve I have. It’s a big weapon for me and the forehand is a big weapon. This is the two things I use always,” Morsy said.

Matsumura, on Court 6, clinched the match for Nicholls with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Piestun.

With the win in hand, matches involving Collins, Banov, and Sasso went unfinished.

“I’m really, really happy for this team win. We are six players, five of us are graduating that played. I’m very, very happy with them and we continue to grow,” said Morsy.

The win improved Nicholls to 12-6 heading into the Southland Conference tournament beginning Thursday in San Antonio.

The winning streak to close the regular season, Morsy said, has the team feeling good about itself heading into the SLC tournament.

“The last six matches, it’s our winning streak. This gives us very big confidence to go in the conference tournament and to win it,” said Morsy.

Nicholls 7, Prairie View 0: Nicholls dropped on only doubles match and no singles matches in defeating the visiting Panthers on Friday afternoon.

The Nicholls No. 3 doubles team of Collins and Matsumura got the Colonels off to a good start with a 6-0 win over the Prairie View A&M duo of Tafari Dudley and Omari Dudley.

Nicholls clinched the point off of doubles play when the Colonels’ No. 1 team of Morsy and Lamothe topped the Panthers duo of Diego Hatem and Edwardo Nunez.

The only defeat on the afternoon for Nicholls came at No. 2 doubles when Fekery and Sasso fell to Xavier Peter-Gooding and Abdulraheen Isa, 5-7.

Sasso provided the first winning results for Nicholls on Court 1 by defeating Nunez, 6-1, 6-2.

After Matsumura defeated Jaydn Boone, 6-2, 6-1 on Court 5, Nicholls clinched the match on Court 2 when Collins beat Nunez, 6-1, 6-2.

In the other two matches, Morsy, on Court 1, beat Isa, 6-1, 6-2, and on Court 3, Banov topped Hatem, 6-3, 6-2.

Nicholls 7, Southern 0: With Southern having to default at No. 3 doubles and at No. 5 and No. 6 singles, all the Colonels had to do was win one of four singles matches to secure the match after taking the point from doubles play Thursday in Baton Rouge.

The first singles result of the day clinched the match for Nicholls when on Court 4, Matsumura defeated Jaiden Dominquez, 6-0, 6-0.

In the other singles results, Sasso on Court 3 beat Gabriel Inyang, 6-0, 6-0; on Court 1, it was Mosey over Lwazi Ngwenya, 6-2, 6-4, and on Court 2, Banov edged Barnabas, 6-4, 4-6, 10-4.

With the default at No. 3 doubles, the No. 2 Nicholls doubles team of Sasso and Fekey defeated Inyang and Doninguez, 6-0.

The No. 1 doubles match went unfinished.