SUMTER, S.C. – The Citadel split a pair of matches on Saturday afternoon at the USC Sumter Classic, knocking off Methodist for the Bulldogs' first win of the 2021 campaign before falling against Georgia Southern.

Match 1 Information
Location: Sumter, S.C. (Palmetto Tennis Center)
Final Score: The Citadel 6, Methodist 3
Records: The Citadel (1-1), Methodist (0-1)

Match 1 Rundown

• While normally contested as a single point, each doubles match counted as an individual point against the Monarchs. Methodist came away with tight wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 positions, but Hayden Shoemake and Sebastian Kamieniecki earned a dominant 8-3 victory at No. 2 to salvage an early point for the Bulldogs.
• Despite falling behind 2-1 after doubles play, The Citadel seized control in singles action, winning five of the six matches to claim its first win of the season.
• Josiah Schainblatt and Shoemake posted straight-sets wins at No. 2 and No. 3 for the 'Dogs, while Kamieniecki and Andrew Darby closed out their matches strongly after dropping their second sets to pick up their first wins of the year.
• Lucas Robins posted perhaps the most impressive victory of the match for The Citadel at No. 4, however, rallying from a set down and dropping just four games the rest of the way en route to a win over Methodist's Henry Murray.

Match 1 Results
Doubles
1. Jordan Theron / Patrick Newsome (MU) def. Josiah Schainblatt / Zvonko Bencedic (CIT) 9-8
2. Hayden Shoemake / Sebastian Kamieniecki (CIT) def. Trent Harner / Coleman Baker (MU) 8-3
3. Luke Laney / Henry Murray (MU) def. Andrew Darby / Lucas Robins (CIT) 9-7

Singles
1. Jordan Theron (MU) def. Zvonko Bencedic (CIT) 6-4, 7-5
2. Josiah Schainblatt (CIT) def. Trent Harner (MU) 6-0, 6-4
3. Hayden Shoemake (CIT) def. Coleman Baker (MU) 6-2, 6-1
4. Lucas Robins (CIT) def. Henry Murray (MU) 3-6, 6-1, 6-3
5. Sebastian Kamieniecki (CIT) def. E.J. Stolmeijer (MU) 7-5, 1-6, 6-1
6. Andrew Darby (CIT) def. Hayden Wilfong (MU) 6-1, 5-7, 6-4

Match 2 Information
Location: Sumter, S.C. (Palmetto Tennis Center)
Final Score: Georgia Southern 7, The Citadel 0
Records: Georgia Southern (2-1), The Citadel (1-2)

Match 2 Rundown

• Georgia Southern claimed the doubles point after coming out of the gate hot, dropping just four games across the three matches to the Bulldogs.
• In singles play, Kamieniecki won a match-high eight games for The Citadel in the No. 6 slot before dropping a hotly-contested match against the Eagles' Jean Sibel.
• At No. 1, Zvonko Bencedic forced a second-set tiebreaker against Pascal Wagemaker but came up just short in his effort to force a decisive third set.
• Phillip Quinn, seeing his first action of the spring, took seven games off Alexandros Roumpis at No. 5.

Match 2 Results
Doubles
1. Pascal Wagemaker / Alexandros Roumpis (GS) def. Zvonko Bencedic / Josiah Schainblatt (CIT) 6-3
2. Murphy McCullough / Tao Castillo (GS) def. Phillip Quinn / Hayden Shoemake (CIT) 6-0
3. Valentin Dun / Jean Sibel (GS) def. Andrew Darby / Sebastian Kamieniecki (CIT) 6-1

Singles
1. Pascal Wagemaker (GS) def. Zvonko Bencedic (CIT) 6-1, 7-6
2. Murphy McCullough (GS) def. Josiah Schainblatt (CIT) 6-4, 6-1
3. Valentin Dun (GS) def. Hayden Shoemake (CIT) 6-1, 6-1
4. Tao Castillo (GS) def. Lucas Robins (CIT) 6-1, 6-0
5. Alexandros Roumpis (GS) def. Phillip Quinn (CIT) 6-3, 6-4
6. Jean Sibel (GS) def. Sebastian Kamieniecki (CIT) 6-3, 7-5

Up Next
The Citadel is scheduled to return to action next Saturday at Tennessee, which is off to a perfect 8-0 start this season and is ranked No. 10 nationally in the latest ITA rankings released by the organization on Feb. 3.