NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Nicholls State University men's tennis team was swept by top-seed Lamar, 4-0, in the opening round of the 2016 Southland Conference Men's Tennis Tournament Saturday morning at Schlief Tennis Center.
 
Nicholls finishes the season at 3-14, while Lamar (16-5) advances to the tournament's championship match to play the defending tournament champion Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
 
Lamar got off to a quick start to claim wins at the No. 1 doubles and No. 2 doubles. The duo of Southland Player of the Year Michael Feucht and Benny Schweizer topped Oleksander Podgursky and Max Sinn, 6-0, while Jeandre Hoogenboezen and Nikita Lis were 6-3 winners over Sam Meessen and Bernard Wezeman. The No. 3 match of Lamar's Juuso Laitinen and Sebastian Santibanez and Nicholl's Evan Karatzas and Oscar Reeve was tied at 4-4 as the Cardinals clinched the point.
 
In singles action, Lamar finished the sweep with wins at the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 6 flights. Feucht beat Karatzas 6-1, 6-3 at No. 1 while Lis beat Podgursky 6-3, 6-3 at No. 2. Laitinen clinched the match for the Cardinals with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Kieran Cronin. Lamar teammates Schweizer, Hoogenboezen, and Santibanez had not finished their singles matches when the match was clinched. Sam Meessen was the lone Colonel to win a set, taking the first against Schweizer on the No. 3 court.
 
Nicholls returns the bulk of its lineup, losing only Karatzas to graduation. The Nicholls Men's Tennis Team can be followed on Twitter at @Nicholls_MTEN.
 
Lamar 4, Nicholls 0
Singles competition
1. Michael Feucht (LU) def. Evan Karatzas (NICM) 6-1, 6-3
2. Nikita Lis (LU) def. Oleksander Podgursky (NICM) 6-3, 6-3
3. Benny Schweizer (LU) vs. Sam Meessen (NICM) 1-6, 4-4, unfinished
4. Sebastian Santibanez (LU) vs. Max Sinn (NICM) 6-6, unfinished
5. Jeandre Hoogenboezem (LU) vs. Bernard Wezeman (NICM) 6-3, 4-3, unfinished
6. Juuso Laitinen (LU) def. Kieran Cronin (NICM) 6-0, 6-2
 
Doubles competition
1. Michael Feucht/Benny Schweizer (LU) def. Oleksander Podgursky/Max Sinn (NICM) 6-0
2. Jeandre Hoogenboezem/Nikita Lis (LU) def. Sam Meessen/Bernard Wezeman (NICM) 6-3
3. Juuso Laitinen/Sebastian Santibanez (LU) vs. Evan Karatzas/Oscar Reeve (NICM) 4-4, unfinished
 
Match Notes:
Nicholls 3-14
Lamar University 16-5
2016 Southland Conference Men's Tennis Tournament Semifinals
#1 Lamar vs. #4 Nicholls
Order of Finish: Doubles (1, 2, uf) | Singles (2, 1, 6, uf, uf, uf)
Lamar advances to the finals of the 2016 Southland Conference Tournament
Official: Kathleen O'Conner T-1:41 A-73