BLACKSBURG, Va. – A 24-hour weather delay did little to slow down the Big South preseason favorite, as Radford rode the momentum of a doubles-point win to a singles sweep and a 7-0 victory over Commonwealth rival Longwood Thursday afternoon at Virginia Tech's Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center.
 
The Highlanders, who received three of six first-place votes in the Big South Preseason Coaches Poll to emerge as the league's preseason favorite in January, showcased their depth with wins at all three doubles spots and all six singles lines. The win was Radford's third in the past four matches and second 7-0 sweep during that span.
 
With the match postponed from Wednesday in Radford to Thursday in Blacksburg, Longwood entered the rivalry showdown with the momentum of a 7-0 win over Mary Washington Saturday but could not break through against a Highlander rotation that is a combined 45-27 in singles play this season.
 
The lone Lancers to force a third set in those six singles were No. 3 Iganacio Sandoval, who fell 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 against Radford's Guilherme Severin, and No. 4 Guillermo Cagigas, who dropped a 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 1-0 (10-4) marathon to Konstantinos Raptis.
 
The loss drops the Lancers to 5-7 on the season and 0-3 in Big South play, while the second-place Highlanders improve to 7-6 overall and 3-1 in the Big South.
 
Longwood will have little time to dwell on the defeat, as a home showdown against Presbyterian is less than 24 hours away on Friday at 3 p.m. That match will also serve as Senior Day for both the Lancer men's and women's programs, with Longwood recognizing men's seniors Marc Casasnovas, Rosen Naydenov and Guiherme Sergio, women's senior Crystal Nzewi, and head coach Jhonnatan Medina Alvarez – all of whom will graduate from Longwood this May – before the women's match against Presbyterian at noon.
 
Radford 7, Longwood 0
April 1, 2021
Blacksburg, Va. (Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center)
 
Singles
1. SIROUS, Yevhen (RADM) def. NAYDENOV, Rosen (LWU) 6-3, 6-0
2. TARAMONLIS, Demis (RADM) def. SERGIO, Guilherme (LWU) 6-2, 6-1
3. SEVERIN, Guilherme (RADM) def. SANDOVAL, Ignacio (LWU) 6-1, 4-6, 6-2
4. RAPTIS, Konstantinos (RADM) def. CAGIGAS, Guillermo (LWU) 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 1-0 (10-4)
5. SILVA, Andres (RADM) def. ROCABERT, Ernest (LWU) 6-3, 6-0
6. BALSEKAR, Aditya (RADM) def. ILETT, Andrew (LWU) 6-0, 6-2
 
Doubles
1. SIROUS, Yevhen/SEVERIN, Guilherme (RADM) def. NAYDENOV, Rosen/ILETT, Andrew (LWU) 6-2
2. TARAMONLIS, Demis/SILVA, Andres (RADM) def. ROCABERT, Ernest/SERGIO, Guilherme (LWU) 6-4
3. RAPTIS, Konstantinos/BALSEKAR, Aditya (RADM) vs. CAGIGAS, Guillermo/CASASNOVAS, Marc (LWU) 4-3, unfinished
 
Records
Longwood 5-7 (0-3 Big South)
Radford 7-6 (3-1 Big South)
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (1,2,3,5,6,4)
Time: 3:30
 
#GoWood