FRESHMEN PULL MEN’S TENNIS THROUGH FOR 4-3 VICTORY AT SOUTH CAROLINA STATE

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ORANGEBURG, S.C. – Freshmen Michiel Meekers and Nikhil Mannepalli delivered two of the final three points to help secure Radford's 4-3 non-conference men's tennis road victory at South Carolina State on Tuesday at Hardeep Judge Tennis Center.

"We keep improving every time we go out," head coach Mike Anderson noted. "We showed a lot of fight today winning four of the six singles matches against a skilled South Carolina State. Our freshmen really stepped up today, accounting for three of our four points. I hope we use this as a confidence boost heading into tomorrow's match at Coastal Carolina."

Trailing 3-1 at the halfway point in singles competition, the Highlanders (9-10) rallied behind their senior captain and a pair of freshmen. Meekers ignited the rally at No. 3 singles, besting Soufiane Mouline, 6-3, 7-6 (4).

Patrick O'Keefe notched the equalizer on court one, taking down Martin Figura in three sets (6-2, 3-6, 6-4). O'Keefe's 15^th-straight singles victory set the stage for Mannepalli to come through with the match-winner.

After dropping the first set, 7-3, in a tiebreaker, the freshman rallied by prevailing in his final two sets (6-4, 6-2) to clinch the team win.

Radford concludes its regular season on Wednesday at 9 a.m. when the Highlanders duel with Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C.

Radford (4) def. South Carolina State (3)
Hardeep Judge Tennis Center (Orangeburg, S.C.)
Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Doubles competition
1. Rodney Carey / Martin Figura (SCSU) vs. Patrick O'Keefe / Jose Moreno Manzano (RU), 5-5 (unfinished)
2. Soufiane Mouline / Edgar Diaz (SCSU) def. Janken Thoen / Samuel Taylor (RU), 8-0
3. Stanislav Baco / Jakub Vitek (SCSU) def. Michiel Meekers / Nikhil Mannepalli (RU), 8-4

Order of finish: 2, 3*

Singles competition
1. Patrick O'Keefe (RU) def. Martin Figura (SCSU), 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
2. Nikhil Mannepalli (RU) def. Vladyslav Yanchenko (SCSU), 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-2
3. Michiel Meekers (RU) def. Soufiane Mouline (SCSU), 6-3, 7-6 (4)
4. Jose Moreno Manzano (RU) def. Stanislav Baco (SCSU), 6-0, 6-2
5. Jakub Vitek (SCSU) def. Janken Thoen (RU), 6-3, 6-3
6. Edgar Diaz (SCSU) def. Samuel Taylor (RU), 6-3, 6-0

Order of finish: 4, 5, 6, 3, 1, 2*

Match Notes
Radford (9-10)
South Carolina State (12-4)

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Players Mentioned

Patrick O'Keefe: 5' 11"; Senior

Samuel Taylor: 5' 10"; Redshirt Sophomore

Janken Thoen: 6' 1"; Sophomore

Michiel Meekers: 6' 4"; Freshman

Jose Moreno Manzano: 6' 1"; Freshman

Nikhil Mannepalli: 6' 0"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Patrick O'Keefe
: 5' 11"; Senior

Samuel Taylor
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Sophomore

Janken Thoen
: 6' 1"; Sophomore

Michiel Meekers
: 6' 4"; Freshman

Jose Moreno Manzano
: 6' 1"; Freshman

Nikhil Mannepalli
: 6' 0"; Freshman