SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- No. 25-ranked Midwestern State seeks a third consecutive victory as it hits the road for a Lone Star Conference dual match against Saint Mary's on Friday.

Midwestern State, which is 6-7 overall this season, opened conference play at MSU Tennis Center on Wednesday and defeated Lubbock Christian, 5-2.

Philip Kamara snapped a four-match losing streak and clinched the dual-match victory for the Mustangs with a 6-2, 7-5 triumph over Sabri Laphitz at No. 6 singles. Kamara improved to 7-4 for the season.

Stephen Slocombe and Luis Diaz Argente, who are ranked No. 7 as a doubles pairing, helped MSU sweep doubles with a 6-1 victory over Martins Abamu and Tristin Vigneron in the the No. 1 slot, and both players won their singles matches in routine fashion for the Mustangs.

Germano Setti prevailed in a marathon match at No. 2 singles with No. 35-ranked Martins Abamu as both players needed treatment from the trainers during the course of the two-and-a-half-hour match. Setti survived the struggle for a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 triumph over Abamu.

The Mustangs have won the doubles point in six of 13 dual matches and are 17-16 in doubles matches this season.

Slocombe and Diaz are No. 7 in the ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings for doubles teams. The duo is 7-3 at No. 1 doubles for the Mustangs and have won five of their last seven completed matches.

Diaz has made five consecutive appearances at No. 1 singles and earned his second consecutive victory with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Vigneron on Wednesday. The senior from Spain is ranked No. 48 among NCAA Division II singles players and is 5-5 this season.

Slocombe has a three-match winning streak in singles for the Mustangs. The junior from Barbados has won his last two matches in straight sets, including a 6-0, 6-2 win over Herman Aguirre of Lubbock Christian at No. 4 doubles, where Slocombe is 6-3 this year.

Setti, who is No. 66 among Division II singles players, has won back-to-back three-set matches and his last four wins have all come in extended matches. The sophomore from Brazil is 3-2 in the No. 2 position and 5-8 in singles overall this season with eight appearances at No. 1 singles.

Midwestern State is 21-1 all-time in dual matches against St. Mary's and has won the last three meetings, taking 16 of 18 points in those encounters. Last year at MSU Tennis Center, the Stang Gang rolled to a 6-1 victory. MSU is making its fourth trip to St. Mary's and is 3-0 when visiting the Rattlers.

St. Mary's is 2-4 this season and has not played a conference dual match. The Rattlers were rained out on Saturday at UT Dallas. St. Mary's has been forced to cancel two duals this year and one has been postponed by inclement weather.

Alvaro Soler earned the only point for the Rattlers in the dual match last season, and the junior from Spain is 2-3 this season with a 2-2 record at No. 1 singles.

Senior Jake Faryniarz from San Antonio is 5-0 this year with all five victories coming in straight sets. Faryniarz has made four appearances at No. 4 singles for the Rattlers.

The Rattlers have won the doubles point in three duals this season. Soler and Nicholas Llosa are 2-3 at No. 1 doubles, and St. Mary's is 10-7 in doubles matches overall. Faryniarz and Oskar Irdoja are 3-0 in doubles with two wins at the No. 2 spot and a win at the No. 3 position.

Midwestern State travels to Western New Mexico for a dual match on April 5, and visits UT Permain Basin on April 6.
 

--MSUMustangs.com--