THIBODAUX – After earning its first national ranking in program history, the Nicholls State University men's tennis team could not use that momentum as the Colonels lost both of their matches this week, falling 5-2 against USC State before being defeated by No. 57 Louisiana-Lafayette, 6-1.

Nicholls was slated to play two matches in Texas this weekend against Corpus Christi and Texas, but both matches have been canceled due to rain.

Against USC Upstate (5-4) at home on Tuesday, Dmitry Kozionov, who was named co-Southland Conference Player of the Week earlier in the day, and Sidharth Sivakumar picked up wins in singles. Although Nicholls (5-5) came up empty in the rest of the matches, three of the four losses came in three sets, including Roy Knight falling in his third set, 15-13.

Kozionov also paired up with Shayann Vaezzadeh for the Colonels' only win in doubles, taking the No. 2 match 8-5.

On Wednesday against nationally ranked Louisiana-Lafayette (8-5), Damjan Despotovski was the only Colonel to earn a point, winning the No. 2 flight, 6-2, 6-3. In doubles, Kozionov and Vaezzadeh once again came through with a close 8-7 win, but the Ragin' Cajuns took the No. 1 and 3 matches to earn the point.

Nicholls will return to the courts on March 13 when they host Texas Pan-American at 2 p.m.

Complete results are listed below.

USC Upstate 5, #61 Nicholls 2

Singles
1. Ramiro Blanco (UPSTM) def. Damjan Despotovski (NICH) 6-4, 2-6, 6-2
2. Matthias Kidler (UPSTM) def. Shayann Vaezzadeh (NICH) 7-5, 3-6, 6-1
3. Dmitry Kozionov (NICH) def. Tyler Grove (UPSTM) 6-2, 6-3
4. Yvon Haessig (UPSTM) def. Palash Tiwari (NICH) 6-0, 6-4
5. Gonzalo Blanco (UPSTM) def. Roy Knight (NICH) 2-6, 7-5, 15-13
6. Sidharth Sivakumar (NICH) def. Pierre Vernin (UPSTM) 6-0, 3-6, 10-4

Doubles
1. Matthias Kidler/Ramiro Blanco (UPSTM) def. Sidharth Sivakumar/Palash Tiwari (NICH) 8-4
2. Shayann Vaezzadeh/Dmitry Kozionov (NICH) def. Yvon Haessig/Pierre Vernin (UPSTM) 8-5
3. Gonzalo Blanco/Jacob Darling (UPSTM) def. Roy Knight/Damjan Despotovski (NICH) 8-3


#57 Louisiana 6, Nicholls State 1

Singles
1. DeGroot, Rick (ULL) def. Shayann Vaezzadeh (NICH) 6-2, 6-2
2. Damjan Despotovski (NICH) def. Murray, Carlin (ULL) 6-2, 6-3
3. Mandl, Yanick (ULL) def. Dmitry Kozionov (NICH) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
4. Nilsson, Ted (ULL) def. Palash Tiwari (NICH) 6-2, 6-0
5. Farinola, Damian (ULL) def. Roy Knight (NICH), by default
6. Wynan, Jarred (ULL) def. Sidharth Sivakumar (NICH), by default

Doubles
1. Farine, Brandon/Mandl, Yanick (ULL) def. Sidharth Sivakumar/Palash Tiwari (NICH) 8-0
2. Shayann Vaezzadeh/Dmitry Kozionov (NICH) def. DeGroot, Rick/Murray, Carlin (ULL) 8-7
3. Wynan, Jarred/Farinola, Damian (ULL) def. Damjan Despotovski/Roy Knight (NICH) 8-4