No. 26 Men’s Tennis Can’t Get Past Division I NMSU

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Playing their first match since Mar. 25, the No. 26 Western New Mexico University men's tennis team did their best to stay with Division I New Mexico State before falling 7-0 Wednesday afternoon.

WNMU (12-6) kept things close in doubles with sophomores Blayze O'Keefe (Las Vegas, NV/Odyssey Charter)/Zachary Grabovic (South Bank, Australia/St. Kevin's College) posting four games at No. 3 before a 4-6 setback. The No. 3 duo of redshirt junior Tristan Da Lio (Casablanca/Academie des Hauts de Nimes)/junior Vladimir Gnilozubov (Kazakhstan, Astana/Kazakhstan) playing at the top flight and senior Jean-Laurent Pageault (Perrigny, France/Academi des Hauts de Nimes)/sophomore Liam Fraboulet (Lycée Kerraoul, Paimpol, France/Lycée Kerraoul) at No. 2 each fell by the same scores of 3-6 to give NMSU (15-5) the one point lead.

In singles, Gnilozubov did his best to grab a point at No. 3. After dropping the first set 3-6, he came back to win the second 7-5 and then fell just short 6-10 in the third set. Pageault at No. 2 had a tough 2-6 loss in the opening set, but responded in the second coming up just short 5-7. Da Lio at No. 4, redshirt junior Sascha Brechtel (Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Germany/Kurpfalz Gymnasium Mannheim ) at No. 5 and O'Keefe at No. 6 all fell by the same set scores of 6-1, 6-2. Fraboulet at the top flight lost 0-6, 1-6.

The Mustangs will now turn their attention to a pair of big matches this week starting on Friday at 9:30 a.m. against Cameron and then on Saturday at 8 a.m. versus Midwestern State. Both matches will be played at the WNMU Tennis Courts.

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Players Mentioned

Sascha Brechtel: 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior

Tristan Da Lio: 5' 11"; Redshirt Junior

Liam Fraboulet: 5' 11"; Sophomore

Vladimir Gnilozubov: 5' 8"; Junior

Blayze O'Keefe: 6' 0"; Sophomore

Jean-Laurent Pageault: 5' 11"; Senior

Zachary Grabovic: 6' 0"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Sascha Brechtel
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior

Tristan Da Lio
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Junior

Liam Fraboulet
: 5' 11"; Sophomore

Vladimir Gnilozubov
: 5' 8"; Junior

Blayze O'Keefe
: 6' 0"; Sophomore

Jean-Laurent Pageault
: 5' 11"; Senior

Zachary Grabovic
: 6' 0"; Sophomore