January 27, 2007

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- The Virginia Tech men's tennis team wrapped up a successful day, Saturday, by defeating St. Bonaventure, 6-1, in its second match of the Larsen Bowker Shootout. The event, featuring Austin Peay, Charlotte, Maryland-Baltimore County, St. Bonaventure and Tech, utilizes a round-robin format and will conclude on Sunday with four matches. The shootout is being played at the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center on the Virginia Tech campus. Tech won its earlier match against Austin Peay, 7-0.

Tech (2-0), ranked No. 52 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) preseason poll, won two of three doubles matches to capture the first point, then won five of six singles contests for the win.

After taking the doubles point to open the match, Tech won three consecutive singles points. Albert Larregola (Jr., Lleida, Spain), ranked No. 70 nationally, swept Diego Valdenegro, 6-0, 6-0, at the No. 2 spot to give Tech the 2-0 lead. Arvid Puranen (Sr., Lulea, Sweden), ranked No. 67, followed with the third point at No. 1, defeating Alejandro Nery, 6-1, 6-1. Brandon Corace (So., Naples, Fla.) sealed the victory for the Hokies with a 6-1, 6-4, win over Andrew Hart at No. 4.

In the No. 6 match-up, Tech lost its only single contest of the day, as Dejon Stankovic won 6-2, 6-1, over Hokie Preston Lemon (So., Roanoke, Va.). Newcomer Yoann Re (Fr., Verdun, Quebec, Canada) picked up the fifth point for Tech, 6-3, 6-1, against Leo Mochizuki in the No. 3 match. Alexei Sergeev (Sr., Moscow, Russia) wrapped up the match for the Hokies, winning 6-0, 7-5, at the No. 5 spot against Victor Lecina.

In doubles action, Corace/Puranen won the No. 1 contest, 8-4, over Hart/Stankovic, while Nicolas Delgado (So., Madrid, Spain)/Pedro Graber (Fr., Santiago, Chile) took the No. 2 game, 8-1, against Mochizuki/Lecina. In the No. 3 match, St. Bonaventure's Nery/Valdenegro defeated Tech's Sergeev/Re, 8-5.

Tech returns to action Sunday when the Hokies host UMBC in an 8 a.m. contest followed by Charlotte at 3:30 p.m.

No. 52 Virginia  Tech 6, St. Bonaventure 1

Singles

1. #67 Arvid Puranen (VT) def. Alejandro Nery (SB)   		6-1, 6-1

2. #70 Albert Larregola (VT) def. Diego Valdenegro (SB)   	6-0, 6-0

3. Yoann Re (VT) def. Leo Mochizuki (SB)			6-3, 6-1

4. Brandon Corace (VT) def. Andrew Hart (SB)			6-1, 6-4

5. Alexei Sergeev (VT) def. Victor Lecina (SB) 			6-0, 7-5

6. Dejon Stankovic (SB)  def. Preston Lemon (VT)		6-2, 6-1

Doubles

1. Corace/Puranen (VT) def. Hart/Stankovic (SB)			8-4

2. Delgado/Graber (VT) def. Mochizuki/Lecina (SB)		8-1

3. Nery/Valdenegro (SB) def. Sergeev/Re (VT)			8-5