Photos

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Nicholls State University men's tennis team fell short of earning its first conference title as the Colonels dropped a 4-2 decision to UTSA in the Southland Conference championship on Saturday afternoon at the Schlief Tennis Complex.

UTSA (13-10) started out the match by claiming the doubles' point, winning the No. 1 and No. 2 matches by identical 8-5 scores. Roy Knight and Palash Tiwari dropped the top match while Dmitry Kozionov and Shayann Vaezzadeh were ousted in the No. 2 match.

In singles, Knight pulled the Colonels (10-10) even after he retired All-Southland first-team honoree David Kelleher, 4-0 in the No. 5 flight. The Roadrunners regained the lead by earning victories in the next two matches. Vaezzadeh fell in straight sets at the No. 3 position and Sidharth Sivakumar won his first set against Daniel Moser in the No. 6 match, 6-2, but was shutout in the next two sets.

Kozionov would keep the Colonels alive with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Tyler Brown at No. 2, cutting the deficit to 3-2. However, in the No. 1 match, Yannick Junger clinched the title for UTSA by defeating Despotovski 6-4, 7-6 (7-3).

Nicholls finishes the year with double digit wins for the fourth time in the last five seasons. In conference, the Colonels' second-place finish in the regular season was their best mark since starting competition in the Southland in 2005.

UTSA 4, Nicholls 2

Singles
1. Yannick Junger (UTSA) def. Damjan Despotovski (NICH) 6-4, 7-6 (7-3)
2. Dmitry Kozionov (NICH) def. Tyler Brown (UTSA) 6-3, 6-3
3. Martin Ayala (UTSA) def. Shayann Vaezzadeh (NICH) 6-2, 6-4
4. Palash Tiwari (NICH) vs. Joel Rubio (UTSA) unfinished
5. Roy Knight (NICH) def. David Kelleher (UTSA) 4-0, retired
6. Daniel Moser (UTSA) def. Sidharth Sivakumar (NICH) 2-6, 6-0, 6-0

Doubles
1. Junger/Pedro Zanotelli (UTSA) def. Knight/ Tiwari (NICH) 8-5
2. Ayala/ Brown (UTSA) def. Kozionov/ Vaezzadeh (NICH) 8-5
3. Despotovski/ Sivakumar (NICH) vs. Kolby Kilgo/ Rubio (UTSA) unfinished

Match Notes
UTSA 13-10
Nicholls 10-10
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (5,3,6,2,1)
2012 Southland ConferenceTournament Championship Match