ORLANDO, Fla. (March 19, 2024) – The No.19 Lubbock Christian University Chaparrals had a solid tune-up to Lone Star Conference play last week, as they went 4-1 in matches played in a Spring Break trip to Florida.
 
LCU 6 – Augustana (S.D.) 1
After defeating No.49 Rockhurst on Sunday, March 10, LCU returned to their play in Florida on Tuesday, March 12, defeating Augustana 6-1 at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, Fla.
 
LCU swept doubles play for the first point of the dual, as Martins Abamu / Tristan Vigneron (No.1-doubles), Mattia Ghedin / Braden Tipton (No.2-doubles) and No.29 Herman Aguirre / Pablo Segura (No.3-doubles) each claimed victories.
 
The Chaps cruised in singles action, as the first five singles matches completed with LCU victories for a 6-0 lead. No.61 Vigneron (No.1-singles), Ghedin (No.2-singles), Segura (No.3-singles), Tipton (No.5-singles) and Gutierrez (No.6-singles) all claimed wins for LCU. Segura was the only one needing three sets in the win, as he came back from losing the opening set to winning the final two sets.
 
Emporia State 4 – LCU 3
Things did not continue as well in the nightcap of Tuesday's play, as LCU fell 4-3 to Emporia State.
 
The match got off to a spirited start, as LCU took the doubles point. LCU lost in No.3-doubles, but No.29 Aguirre / Segura won the No.2-doubles match and Abamu / Vigneron won a 7-5 tiebreaker to take the match and the doubles dual point.
 
The first two singles matches finished (No.1-singles and No.5-singles) were wins by ESU for a 2-1 lead in the dual. Wins in No.2-singles (No.29 Abamu) and No.3-singles (Ghedin) tied the dual at 2-2 and 3-3, but ESU used a 10-6 tiebreaker in the No.4-singles match to claim the dual 4-3.
 
LCU 5 – West Chester 2
The Chaps returned to USTA National Campus in Orlando Wednesday and marched past West Chester 5-2.
 
Doubles wins by Tipton / Ghedin (No.1-doubles), Mallee / Gutierrez (No.2-doubles) clinched the opening dual point for LCU and the Chaps took a 1-0 lead into singles play. Both doubles matches were won by 1-0 finals.
 
There was little drama, LCU clinched the dual with a 4-0 lead after Sabri Laphitz (default win in No.2-doubles), Aguirre (No.1-singles) Gutierrez (No.3-singles) and Hugo Redelinger (No.4-doubles) each won their sets for the Chaps. WCU won the No.5-singles and No.6-singles matches for their two points.
 
LCU 5 – St. Thomas Aquinas College 2
The Chaps closed their Sunshine State stay Thursday with a win over STAC at National Campus.
 
The doubles point went to the Chaps after Ghedin / Tipton (No.1-doubles) and Abamu / Vigneron (No.2-doubles) stamped wins for the LCU for a 1-0 lead.
 
Of the six singles matches, four went to three sets and three of the singles matches went in favor of LCU, which clinched them the dual. Abamu needed a 10-8 score to win the No.3-singles match, Vigneron won No.2-singles with a 10-6 decisive score and Segura needed a wild 14-12 victory to win the No.5-singles match. Aguirre, who only needed two sets in his No.4-singles match, won his singles match as well for LCU.
 
Toss in their Rockhurst match and LCU went 19-11 overall in singles matches and 10-5 in doubles in Florida. Abamu / Vigneron was 4-0 in doubles, going 3-0 in No.1-doubles play. Abamu also went 3-0 in singles.
 
The Chaps open Lone Star Conference play Wednesday at No.20 Midwestern State with a 12-2 overall record on the season. Pablo Seguara leads LCU in singles wins on the season with 16 (16-5), which is just ahead of Abamu (15), who is 15-8 on the season.  Segura is 9-2 in duals play, going 3-0 at the No.5-singles and No.6-singles position. Blas Ruiz Romero and Gutierrez each head into LSC play leading LCU with (active) four-match win streaks. Romero is 8-1 in his last 10 matches.
 
In doubles, Aguirre / Segura lead LCU with 13 wins (13-4) and they are 8-2 in duals. Abamu, who is 12-3 in doubles (overall) is 6-0 in duals played at the No.1-doubles position, as he is 3-0 when teamed with Vigneron and 3-0 when teamed with Kelly Giese. Abamu is on a five-match win streak in doubles with each partner.
 
Their match at Midwestern State is scheduled for 1 p.m. at MSU Tennis Center in Wichita Falls, Texas. LCU fell last season 5-2 to MSU in Lubbock (March 28, 2023). Following the match, LCU heads to San Antonio, Texas, where they will face St. Mary's Saturday. On March 24, 2023, LCU edged the Rattlers 4-3, with the match decided by a LCU win in No.6-singles.