THE RUNDOWN
WICHITA FALLS, Texas – No. 15 Midwestern State bounced back from last night's setback with a 7-2 rout of Western New Mexico in its first Lone Star Conference match of the season. The Mustangs improve to 15-5 on the year and 1-0 in LSC action.
 
MSU raced out to an early lead in doubles and never looked back. The Mustangs' 12th-ranked pair of Dillon Pineda and Nolan McCaig rolled Liam Fraboulet and Vladimir Gnilozubov, 8-4, at No. 1. The 22nd-ranked duo of Alex Martinez Roca and Angel Palacios posted their 10th-straight win, improving to 16-1 on the year, ousting David Valles and Pablo Santibanez, 8-5, to stretch the advantage to 2-0. At No. 2, Vasudev Vijayaraman and Denney Norrie came ever-so-close in a tiebreaker, slipping up to Niko Barr and Zachary Grabovic, 8-7 (9).
 
The middle of the lineup proved to be the difference in singles as the Maroon and Gold pulled away. McCaig earned a 6-1, 6-0 win against Barr at No. 3 to push MSU's lead to 3-1 before Pineda took a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Gniozubov at No. 2. With a chance to clinch the match, Martinez Roca seized the opportunity, besting Grabovic in a second-set tiebreaker to secure the win, 6-2, 7-6 (1).
 
WNMU took a tight win at No. 1, but MSU answered with a pair of dominating performances at No. 5 and No. 6. Norrie dusted Jose Mario Neto in straight sets, 6-2, 6-0, followed by freshman Jean Muniz with a 6-2, 6-2 win against Valles to close out the match.
 
BOX SCORE
#15 Midwestern State (15-5, 1-0 LSC) def. Western New Mexico (3-15, 0-3 LSC)
Saturday, April 7, 2018 | 2 p.m.
Wichita Falls, Texas
MSU Tennis Center
 
Doubles
No. 1 – #12 Dillon Pineda/Nolan McCaig (MSU) def. Liam Fraboulet/Vladimir Gnilozubov (WNMU) 8-4
No. 2 – Niko Barr/Zachary Grabovic (WNMU) def. Vasudev Vijayaraman/Denney Norrie (MSU) 8-7 (9)
No. 3 – #22 Alex Martinez Roca/Angel Palacios (MSU) def. David Valles/Pablo Santibanez (WNMU) 8-5
 
Singles
No. 1 – Liam Fraboulet (WNMU) def. #8 Vasudev Vijayaraman (MSU) 7-6 (5), 6-4
No. 2 – Dillon Pineda (MSU) def. Vladimir Gniozubov (WNMU) 6-2, 6-2
No. 3 – Nolan McCaig (MSU) def. Niko Barr (WNMU) 6-1, 6-0
No. 4 – Alex Martinez Roca (MSU) def. Zach Grabovic (WNMU) 6-2, 7-6 (1)
No. 5 – Jean Muniz (MSU) def. David Valles (WNMU) 6-2, 6-2
No. 6 – Denney Norrie (MSU) def. Jose Mario Neto (WNMU) 6-2, 6-0
 
Order of finish: Doubles (1, 3, 2); Singles (3, 2, 4, 1, 6, 5)
 
UP NEXT
Midwestern State returns to the courts on Tuesday, April 10, for a South Central Region matchup with Dallas Baptist. First serve is slated for 3 p.m. in Dallas.