Liberty Falls In Close Match At Charleston Southern

Leading 3-2, the Charleston Southern Buccaneers pulled out the #6 singles match to take a hard fought 4-2 victory over the Liberty Flames in Big South match play, Monday.

Liberty claimed the doubles point to go up 1-0 on the afternoon. Priit Pihl (Sr., Saue, Estonia) and Jarda Trojan (So., Prague, Czech Republic) won at #1 doubles, 9-7, while Sebastian Pena (So., Santiago, Chile) and Joseph Withers (Fr., Peoria, Ill.) gained the point for the Flames with an 8-5 win at #2 doubles.

The Flames went up, 2-0, as Pihl won for the second time in the match at #1 singles, 7-6, 1-6, 6-2, over the Buccaneers' Jonathn Dean. However, Charleston Southern won the #3, #4 and #5 singles matches, leaving the score tied at 3-2 going into the #6 singles match.

It came down to a 5-5 tie in the third set as Charleston Southern's Murat Atilla overcame cramping to defeat Liberty's Pena 7-5 in the set to clinch the match.

The Flames drop to 0-6 overall and 0-3 in Big South matches, while the Buccaneers move to 4-3 overall and 1-1 in the conference by winning their first Big South contest.

Liberty continues its road trip with a non-conference match at UNC Wilmington, Thursday. Match time is scheduled for Noon.

Singles
1. PIHL, Priit (LU) def. DEAN, Jonathan (CSU) 7-6, 1-6, 6-2
2. CARDONA, Carlos (LU) vs. DAVID, Guy (CSU) no result
3. SCHUTTE, Lee (CSU) def. TROJAN, Jarda (LU) 6-1, 6-1
4. DEAN, Steven (CSU) def. ANEIROS, Braen (LU) 4-1, retired
5. PEEK, Chris (CSU) def. WITHERS, Joseph (LU) 6-2, 6-2
6. ATILLA, Murat (CSU) def. PENA, Sebastian (LU) 4-6, 6-1, 7-5

Doubles
1. PHIL, Priit/TROJAN, Jarda (LU) def. DEAN, Jonathan/SCHUTTE, Lee (CSU) 9-7
2. PENA, Sebastian/WITHERS, Joseph (LU) def. DEAN, Steven/DAVID, Guy (CSU) 8-5
3. ATILLA, Murat/PEEK, Chris (CSU) def. ANEIROS, Braen/CARDONA, Carlos (LU) 8-5