Two losses sandwiched a win to end the regular season for the Longwood men's tennis team. This past Thursday, the Lancers scored all but points in their loss to James Madison. Earn- ing redemption on Saturday, the team allowed one point in their 6-1 victory against Lynchburg, while on Sunday the Lancers saw opposite results, los- ing 1-6 against Wake Forest in their last scheduled
Against James Madison, the Lancers attained their only two points from singles wins after falling in three doubles matches. Together, senior Nobu Tanaka and freshman Steed Johnson lost the third doubles match but found their respective singles wins soon after. At the number one spot, senior
Nobu Tanaka defeated Greg Vladirmirsky in two games (6-1 and 6-4), while freshman Steed Johnson slid past his opponent in three games (6- 4, 3-6 and 6-2) to give the team their second point. Disregard- ing the end re- sult, each match was well fought as two of the five matches went to three games. Tanaka also broke his previ- ous record for season wins with 22 and even ex- tended his record winning percent- age to .700. Tana- ka finished his senior year with a 23-8 overall re- cord, including fall tournaments and spring dual matches.
The Lancers found redemp- tion the next day, defeating a strug- gling Lynchburg team who is 3-14 this season. Though the final score was 6-1, Lynchburg's lone
point came from a Johnson default due to injury. Johnson's injury would also result in a doubles default as well. However, the team saw wins from Tanaka, Khmiadashvili, Elston, Becker and Kelle- her, who each defeated their Hornet opponents in merely two games.
After a strong win against Lynchburg, the next day the Longwood men's tennis team suffered a 6-1 loss to Wake Forest in North Carolina. For their final scheduled tennis match this season, junior Giorgi Khmiadashvili gave the Lancers their only point of the day in the number two spot, defeating his opponent in two games (6-3 and 7-5).
The Longwood men's tennis team finished their 2011-12 season with an overall record of 8-10. The Lancerswerenearlyflawlessathomewitha3-1re- cord, while struggling in their away games, drop- ping eight of 11.
After winning six of their last eight matches, the Longwood women's tennis team's last match of the season against Howard University was can- celled this past weekend. To date, the women's tennis team is .500 with 10 wins accompanied by 10losses.Theirrecordshomeandawayareflip- flopped, going 5-4 in Farmville and 4-5 away.
Freshman Malin Allgurin, from Varnamo, Swe- den, has already marked a place in the Longwood record books, tying ninth in Lancer tennis history with 18 season wins. Such a feat has not been ac- complished since 2000. In her most recent match against North Carolina A&T, Allgurin extended her winning streak to 11 in a row. Head Coach Gus- tafsson explained her success by simply stating, "She has a huge serve and a very powerful baseline game." Allgurin's tennis success looks to run in the family, as her sister, Ellen, advanced to the quarter- final round of the 2011 Junior U.S. Open.
Next season, the Longwood men's tennis team looks to return five of six players. Those include freshmen Daniel Elston, Steed Johnson and Harry Kelleher, sophomore Edward Becker and junior Gi- rogi Khmiadashvili.
The Longwood women's tennis team will look to return their soon to be veteran squad next season with seniors Marta Pinyol, Allison Shulman and Hannah Hill. Juniors Bethany Law, Sarah Moomau and Nicole Parker and lone sophomore Malin All- gurin.
Two losses sandwiched a win to end the regu- lar season for the Longwood men's tennis team. This past Thursday, the Lancers scored all but match.