State Netmen Fall To VCU In First Round Of NCAA Tourney
The loss ended State's season at 12-10 overall, the Bulldogs' firstwinning record since 2001. MSU made its 15th consecutive NCAA appearancethis year. VCU, which evened the series with MSU at 1-1, improved to 17-10overall and will face eighth-ranked Duke Saturday in the second round.
The Rams gained the opening point of the day by posting wins at the No.2 and 3 doubles positions. No. 3 was first off the court, with VCU's duo ofSergi Arumi and Francesc Lleal downing Bulldogs Luiz Carvalho and ArnaudRoussel 8-3. Rams Daniel Lohff and Sebastian Ripoll then clinched thepoint, edging State's tandem of Philippe Frayssinoux and Pierre Mouillon 8-6at No. 2. The No. 1 spot was tied at 6-6 when play was suspended at thatpoint.
In singles, the Rams took the first set in three of the six matches andthat would ultimately prove to be the difference in the match, as VCUclaimed straight-set triumphs in all three of those affairs.
VCU took a 2-0 lead when Arumi finished a 6-1, 6-2 decision over theState rookie Mouillon at the No. 4 singles position. MSU posted its firstpoint of the day when the senior Carvalho rallied from being down a servicebreak in the first set to win 7-5, 6-2 over Ripoll at No. 5.
The next two matches complete would finish within a few minutes of eachother. VCU gained a 3-1 advantage when 17th-ranked Arnaud Lecloerec held offa solid challenge from Bulldog sophomore Ivan Bjelica at No. 1, claiming a6-4, 6-3 victory. Moments later, the MSU sophomore Roussel took a 6-4, 6-4decision from Ram Damien Lacombe at No. 6, also overcoming an early deficitin his match.
The final two matches were both very close battles, but VCU's Llealclosed out the match for the Rams with a two-tiebreak win over MSU juniorJose-Carlos Pinto at the No. 3 spot 7-6(5), 7-6(3). The last match, whichwas suspended once the team victory had been clinched, had VCU's 96th-rankedMarton Ott leading the State freshman Frayssinoux 3-2 in the third set.Frayssinoux had taken the first set early on.
The Bulldogs were without the services of one of its best players thisseason Friday, as junior Florent Girod was incapacitated with the flu. Girodled the Bulldogs with a 15-4 mark in dual matches this year.
"A lot of credit goes to VCU. They just played better than us today,"MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard said. "We knew they were not a typical No. 3seed going into the match. They started the year in the top 15 and they mayvery well finish the year that way. I don't like finishing the season with afirst-round loss in the NCAAs, but we played hard and lost to a great team,and that's all I can ask from our guys. We look forward to preparing fornext season."
Though the 2005 team season is done for the Bulldog netters, State'swork this season on the courts is not completely done. The MSU doubles teamof Carvalho and Pinto, ranked 29th nationally, will compete in the NCAADoubles Championship, which will be held May 25-30 in College Station,Texas.
#41 VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH 4, #23 MISSISSIPPI STATE 2
DOUBLES - Ivan Bjelica/Jose-Carlos Pinto (MSU) vs. ArnaudLecloerec/Marton Ott (VCU) 6-6, susp.; Daniel Lohff/Sebastian Ripoll (VCU)def. Philippe Frayssinoux/Pierre Mouillon (MSU) 8-6; Sergi Arumi/FrancescLleal (VCU) def. Luiz Carvalho/Arnaud Roussel (MSU) 8-3.
SINGLES - #17 Lecloerec (VCU) def. Bjelica (MSU) 6-4, 6-3; Frayssinoux(MSU) vs. #96 Ott (VCU) 6-3, 5-7, 2-3, susp.; Lleal (VCU) def. Pinto (MSU)7-6(5), 7-6(3); Arumi (VCU) def. Mouillon (MSU) 6-1, 6-2; Carvalho (MSU)def. Ripoll (VCU) 7-5, 6-2; Roussel (MSU) def. Damien Lacombe (VCU) 6-4,6-4.
(numbers preceding names are current national rankings)