Tennis takes down Georgia Southern

by Caleb Thomas

Georgia Southern 4-2 on the Trojans’ Senior Day. Seniors Vito Llinares and Francisco Erramuspe were sent off with the victory against the Eagles on Monday afternoon.

In the victory, Llinares played a big role, bouncing back from an early deficit to win his singles match 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. Additionally, he paired with Noah Martens to win a decisive doubles match in tiebreakers.

The doubles match won the doubles point for the Trojans, but it didn’t come easy. Llinares and Marten stormed back from a 2-5 deficit to win 7-6. 

Llinares, who has played all four years of his collegiate career at Troy, has been a steady force for the team. In his first three years combined, he posted a 54-25 singles record. 

While Erramuspe had a tough day, losing both his singles and doubles matches, he did win his singles match on Sunday. He has seen limited playing time with the Trojans since transferring from East Tennessee State in 2020. Erramuspe posted an 8-8 singles record from 2020-2022. 

Although Troy eventually fell to Georgia State 3-4, it was another hard-fought match. The Panthers started the day off strong, winning the doubles point that eventually was the difference between the two squads. 

While Monday was about the seniors, Mario Martinez continued what has been a spectacular freshman campaign. The future of the team went 3-1 in his four appearances against Georgia State and Georgia Southern, with the only loss coming in doubles with Erramuspe on Monday. He leads the Sun Belt Conference in wins this season.

The Trojans have two more regular season matches on the road. First, they travel to take on Augusta on Saturday at 9 a.m. before making the trek to Conway, South Carolina, to face off against Coastal Carolina on Sunday at 9 a.m.