Monday Memory: Eagles' Historic Run to NAIA National Semifinals
By Mike DeVader, Reinhardt Director of Athletic Communications & Media
WALESKA, Ga. – Today's Monday Memory travels to Mobile, Ala., back on May 18, 2018 where Reinhardt spent eight hours on the court due to multiple weather delays in the NAIA Men's Tennis National Championship.
The 14th-seeded Eagles made NAIA men's tennis history by becoming the lowest seed to ever make the national semifinals following a grueling 5-4 battle against sixth-seeded Cumberland (Tenn.) in the quarterfinals.
The doubles duo of Myrohn Miranda/Bruno Juarez were the first to get Reinhardt on the board with an 8-5 win. The Phoenix tied the score with a third-line 8-5 victory before the Eagles headed to singles play up by one (2-1) thanks to Fabio Pereira/Mario Belloni Tomas and their 8-5 triumph in No. 1 doubles.
Cumberland got back to even on the day with a straight-set win in the third spot (6-4, 6-1) – but back came Reinhardt – and a 3-2 advantage after coming through on line four after a Nikita Hrynov performance in a 7-6, 4-3 outcome.
No. 5 singles went wire-to-wire (as did the last four contests of individual play to finish) with the Phoenix again getting even at 3-3. As both clubs continued to struggle with the conditions and the delays, Sam Alexander won his deciding third set to take the sixth-line match, 7-6, 2-6, 6-1.
Pereira, who was struggling with cramps mightily, found an extra push from his teammates to fight his way through what-would-be the clinching points in his 6-1, 6-7, 6-2 positive decision.
Cumberland was able to finish the matchup with a three-set win at No. 2 singles, but the damage was already done.
The team had to muster up the energy to try and put its best effort on display as Reinhardt played at 9 p.m. CDT/10 p.m. EDT the same night on May 18 against No. 2 Keiser (Fla.) with a spot in the national championship final on the line in Mobile.
The Eagles did just that – and left it all out on the courts – as they scored at least four points in each doubles competition despite being exhausted and not having the proper rest after already playing for more than the average workday.
The second-ranked squad in the nation, the Seahawks, wrapped up their spot in the final match after victories at both No. 5 and No. 4 singles, respectively. Despite those matchups getting completed first, all other individual play was extremely competitive throughout the lineup.
Men's tennis will now reflect on its the most successful season in program history with an 18-4 mark, and its serious run for No. 1.
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