UMSL Drops First Two Conference Matches

Rivermen Fall to Bellarmine, Southern Indiana

The UMSL men’s tennis team opened up their conference season this past weekend, dropping matches at Bellarmine and at Southern Indiana. UMSL fell to the Knights 5-3, and lost 5-0 to the Screaming Eagles.

Against Bellarmine, UMSL dropped two of the three doubles matches to get in an early hole, but picked up singles wins from Raj Saini (Victoria, British Columbia) and Stephen Pobst (Sikeston, Mo./Sikeston) who each won by scores of 6-1, 6-1. Bellarmine picked up three singles wins however, to hold on for the 5-3 win.

The Rivermen then dropped a 5-0 decision at Southern Indiana, dropping all three doubles matches, including two matches that went to 8-6 scores. Southern Indiana then picked up wins at one and two singles for the team win.

UMSL will open up its home conference season this week when they host SIU Edwardsville on Tuesday at 3 pm, and then host Indianapolis (9 am) and Saint Joseph's (3 pm) on Saturday, April 3.

RECAP
Bellarmine 5, Missouri-St. Louis 3
Singles:
1. Jake Kirts (BU) def. Matt Vaulkhard (UMSL) 6-3, 6-2
2. Phillip Merrill (BU) def. Mike Schaaf (UMSL) 7-5, 6-3
3. Francis Lam (UMSL) vs. Brandon Campbell (BU) - Not Finished
4. Raj Saini (UMSL) def. Randy Pike (BU) 6-1, 6-1
5. Stephen Pobst (UMSL) def. Jake Wolf (BU) 6-1, 6-1
6. John Esterle (BU) def. Max Bugner (UMSL) 6-4, 6-0
Doubles:
1. Kirts/Pike (BU) def. Schaaf/Pobst (UMSL) 8-2
2. Saini/Lam (UMSL) def. Esterle/Logan (BU) 8-1
3. Merrill/Campbell (BU) def. Vaulkhard/Bugner (UMSL) 8-6

Southern Indiana 5, Missouri-St. Louis 0
Singles:
1. Joe Epkeg (USI) def. Matt Vaulkhard (UMSL) 6-1, 6-1
2. Weston Phillips (USI) def. Mike Schaaf (UMSL) 6-2, 6-4
3. Francis Lam (UMSL) vs. Nim Shetty (USI) - Unfinished
4. Raj Saini (UMSL) vs. Ryan Hughe (USI) - Unfinished
5. Stephen Pobst (UMSL) vs. Kyle Taylor (USI) - Unfinished
6. Max Bugner (UMSL) vs. Evan Luttrell (USI) Unfinished
Doubles:
1. Shetty/Hughe (USI) def. Schaaf/Pobst (UMSL) 8-6
2. Epkeg/Taylor (USI) def. Saini/Lam (UMSL) 8-6
3. Phillips/Luttrell (USI) def. Vaulkhard/Bugner (UMSL) 8-2