DALLAS, Texas (February 23, 2024) – Lubbock Christian University opened their weekend set of duals in the Metroplex with a 5-2 win over Harding Friday at Bent Tree Country Club Tennis Center.
 
The match had a dramatic start for the doubles point, as LCU had to rally to achieve the 1-0 lead. Harding took the No.1-doubles match, which forced LCU into having to claim wins in the other two doubles matches. Pablo Segura & Herman Aguirre were up 6-5 and on match-point (40-0) in No.3-doubles, but the Harding team of Jaydon van Vreden / Caleb Folse (ranked No.9 in the Central Region) claimed the next three serving points to tie 40-40 before LCU claimed the next point to win the match 7-5. In No.2-doubles, Mattia Ghedin & Blas Ruiz Ramero were in a tiebreaker after splitting the first two sets, and went up 6-4, but then found themselves trailing 7-6. They rallied to win the tiebreaker 9-7 to claim the match and clinch the doubles point for LCU.
 
Ruiz Romero would come up huge in No.5-singles, as he claimed a three-set win by winning the final set 10-8. LCU also claimed wins in No.2 doubles (Kelly Giese, with a 7-2 second-set tiebreaker), No.4-singles (Ghedin) and No.6-singles (Segura), and all were straight-set victories.
 
Segura moved to 11-3 in singles play this season, and his 11 wins matches Martins Abamu for the team lead. On the doubles side, Segura and Aguirre are 9-1 this season and 4-0 in duals. They have a three-match win streak.
 
Giese improved to 7-1 in singles and has won seven consecutive matches (he is 5-0 in duals and all are playing No.2-singles). Romero is also riding a four-match win streak to move to 10-2 overall and 4-0 in duals (all in the No.5-singles role).
 
COACH SAID
"The men showed a lot of fight against a very talented Harding squad," said Chaps head coach Jason Speegle. "We started slow in doubles, but were able to fight back and get the doubles point, winning close matches. Kelly Giese closed out a very important match in a second tiebreaker at No.2-singles, and Mattia Ghedin was clutch with a clincher in his match."
 
WHAT'S NEXT
LCU, improving to 5-0 on the season (Harding dropped to 2-3), heads to McKinney, Texas Saturday and faced Metropolitan State of Denver (11 a.m.) and Pratt Community College at Emmerson High School Tennis Courts.