Vaulkhard Sets UMSL Career Win Record

Senior Breaks 30-Year Old Record to Help Rivermen Beat Lindenwood

St. Louis, Mo. – UMSL senior Matt Vaulkhard (Victoria, British Columbia) set the UMSL school record with his 51st career singles victory, recording a 6-3, 6-4 win on Tuesday to help win a pivotal match in the 5-4 Rivermen victory over Lindenwood.

Vaulkhard recorded his 12th win this season, and the 51st of his career, which breaks the school record previously held by UMSL Sports Hall of Famer Tom January. January played at UMSL from 1971-74, and has held the career singles record for 30 years. Vaulkhard recorded 15 wins as a freshman in earning GLVC Freshman of the Year honors, then had 10 victories in an injury-plagues sophomore year and had 14 wins last season while earning GLVC All-Conference honors. Vaulkhard has come on strong of late this year, having recorded a singles win in each of the last five team matches.

The win by Vaulkhard proved pivotal as it gave the Rivermen momentum to get the 5-4 win over Lindenwood. UMSL dropped two of the three doubles matches to start the evening, and then got the win from Vaulkhard to get things started in the singles matches. He was followed by James Daugherty (White Settlement, Texas/Brewer) with a win at six singles. Raj Saini (Victoria, British Columbia) then picked up a three-set win at four singles and Stephen Pobst (Sikeston, Mo./Sikeston) added another three-set win at five singles.

Vaulkhard and the Rivermen will have a short break before heading to the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament in Indianapolis, Ind., this weekend. The action begins on Friday, when the sixth-seeded Rivermen will face third-seeded Indianapolis in the first round on Friday, April 16.

RECAP
Missouri-St. Louis 5, Lindenwood 4
Singles:
1. Matt Vaulkhard (UMSL) def. Neil Hopson (LU) 6-3, 6-4
2. Mehdi Bensouda (LU) def. Mike Schaaf (UMSL) 7-6, 7-6
3. Pedro Linardelli (LU) def. Francis Lam (UMSL) 5-7, 6-0, 7-6 (3)
4. Raj Saini (UMSL) def. Nikita Skorohodov (LU) 3-6, 6-1, (5)
5. Stephen Pobst (UMSL) def. Nate Hopson (LU) 4-6, 7-6, (12-10)
6. James Daugherty (UMSL) def. Miguel Caciaao (LU) 6-3, 6-4
Doubles
1. Saini/Lam (UMSL) def. Neil Hopson/Nate Hopson (LU) 8-6
2. Linardelli/Skorohodov (LU) def. Schaaf/Pobst (UMSL) 8-4
3. Bensouda/Caciaao (LU) def. Daugherty/Bugner (UMSL) 8-2