NC State
LSU
#22 Pack Advance to ITA Kickoff Regional Championship with Win Over LSU
1/25/2025 8:52:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Starkville, Miss. – 22nd-ranked NC State men's tennis defeated LSU by a 4-1 score Saturday afternoon in the opening round of ITA Kickoff match-ups to advance to their regional championship match in Starkville.
Leading the way for the Pack were senior captains, Braden Shick and Fons Van Sambeek, who are currently ranked No. 102 as a duo by the ITA. The two quickly took off to a 3-1 lead over 28th-ranked Aleksi Lofman and Julien Penzlin of LSU, to eventual secure a 6-3 win and fiery energy for the red-and-white.
On court two, Jules Leroux and Luca Staeheli continued to showcase their chemistry but following up with a 6-3 win of their own shortly after to record the doubles point in their team's favor.
Moving into singles with a 1-0 edge, several members of the Pack were off to the races to search for individual singles points on their courts. Unfortunately, William Manning fell first in two sets on court five to Penzlin who is ranked No. 99 in singles, tying up the scoreboard 1-1.
All within minutes apart of each other on courts three, six, and two; Staeheli, Leroux, and Martin Borisiouk (respectively) each tallied victories on their courts to ensure the Pack's appearance in the championship match the next day. All three players were able to finish in just two straight sets over their opponents.
Up Next
The Pack is set to face ninth-ranked Mississippi State on Sunday, January 26 at 1 p.m. CT (2 p.n. ET) at the Rula Tennis Pavilion in Starkville, Miss. The winner of the match will qualify for the 2025 ITA National Team Indoors tournament that takes place at Baylor and SMU February 14-16.
Results
#22 NC State 4, LSU 1
Location: Rula Tennis Pavilion in Starkville, Miss.
Doubles
1 | #102 Braden Shick & Fons Van Sambeek (NCSU) def. #28 Aleksi Lofman & Julien Penzlin (LSU) 6-3
2 | Jules Leroux & Luca Staeheli (NCSU) def. Enzo Kohlmann De Freitas & Alessio Vasquez (LSU) 6-3
3 | Andrej Loncarevic & Sasha Markovic (LSU) vs. Martin Borisiouk & William Manning (NCSU) 4-3, unfinished
Order of Finish: (1, 2)
Singles
1 | #17 Braden Shick (NCSU) vs. #75 Aleksi Lofman (LSU) 6-3, 3-6, 4-2, unfinished
2 | #26 Martin Borisiouk (NCSU) def. Sasa Markovic (LSU) 6-1, 7-6 (7-5)
3 | #97 Luca Staeheli (NCSU) def. Calin Stirbu (LSU) 6-3, 6-3
4 | Fons Van Sambeek (NCSU) vs. Alessio Vasquez (LSU) 3-6, 6-2, 4-2, unfinished
5 | #99 Julien Penzlin (LSU) def. William Manning (NCSU) 7-5, 6-2
6 | Jules Leroux (NCSU) def. Enzo Kohlmann (LSU) 6-3, 7-5
Order of Finish: (5, 3, 6, 2)
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Players Mentioned
