BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Rhodes Men's Tennis Team was handed a tough loss today by the Southern Athletic Association rival Birmingham Southern College Panthers.
 
"We came out flat in doubles," said assistant coach Ryan Dodd.  "Greyson [Brilliant] and Graham [Sowden] came out slow and missing a lot of first volleys but rallied hard to bring the match back to 'on-serve." 
 
Eliot Blatt and Colin Perry kept fighting at number one doubles to get the match back to on serve but fell down the stretch to lose 8-6.  Albert Vacheron and Daniel Olivier never really found their footing at third doubles and lost 8-2.
 
The team was deflated after Birmingham Southern swept doubles play, but the Lynx were resilient and found a way to increase their energy to start singles play.  Trevor Lew on court 5, Albert Vacheron on court three, and Eliot Blatt on court one all took their first sets in an attempt to rally the team spirit. 
 
Unfortunately singles competition would conclude in the same manner that it started, as Rhodes split singles competition with the host Panthers to fall 6-3, and drop to 2-1 in the conference standings.
 
Rhodes is back on the courts in conference play on April 5.  They will face Centre College at 9 a.m. at the Dunavant Tennis Center on the Rhodes College campus.
 
Rhodes College 3, Birmingham Southern 6
March 30, 2014
Ann Dielen Tennis Complex
Birmingham, AL
 
Singles Competition
Eliot Blatt (RC) def. Christian Matthews (BSC) 6-4, 6-3
Brian Brandt (BSC) def. Colin Perry (RC) 6-3, 6-1
Albert Vacheron (RC) def. Patrick Hire (BSC) 7-5, 6-4
Alex Makarenko (BSC) def. Greyson Brilliant (RC) 6-1, 6-1
Trevor Lew (RC) def. Tony Damaia (BSC) 6-3, 6-2
Ben Reardon (BSC) def. Graham Sowden (RC) 6-2, 6-4
 
Doubles Competition
Matthews/Damaia (BSC) def. Blatt/Perry (RC) 8-6
Makarenko/Hire (BSC) def. Sowden/Brilliant (RC) 9-8 (7-3)
Brandt/Reardon (BSC) def. Olivier/Vacheron (RC) 8-2
 
Match Notes
Rhodes College 7-5 (2-1); Regional Ranking No. 15
Birmingham Southern College 9-2 (3-0); Regional Ranking No. 10
Order of Finish: Doubles (3, 1, 2) Singles (5, 4, 2, 1, 6, 3)