FARMVILLE, Va. – If first impressions are key, then the Longwood men's tennis team made a good one in their first match on their new courts.
 
More than a year in waiting, following last season's mid-year cancellation of the spring season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lancers (1-2) inaugurated their new home facility by cruising past Southern Virginia 6-1 at the New Lancer Courts.
 
The new tennis campus, located on the south end of Longwood University, boasts six courts split into a multi-level venue with room for spectators both between and around two three-court enclosures. Longwood won on all six of those courts in Wednesday's debut and swept singles play without surrendering a single set.
 
With a lineup anchored by veterans under fourth-year head coach Jhonnatan Medina Alvarez, the Lancers swept all six singles spots starting at the top with a 6-2, 6-4 win at the No. 1 spot from senior Guilherme Sergio over Southern Virginia's Marcos Dias.
 
Sergio's win at the top spot was Longwood's second on the day and followed the near-perfect 6-0, 6-1 rout at the No. 3 slot from junior Guillermo Cagigas over the Knights' Tanner Bassett. Cagigas' victory helped Longwood overcome a doubles-point loss after the Knights opened the bout with a 6-3 doubles clincher at No. 1 over Longwood's top duo of Sergio and sophomore Ernest Rocabert.
 
The two doubles losses were the lone blemishes on the day for the Lancers, who followed Cagigas and Sergio's wins with two more straight-set victories at Nos. 2 and 4 from sophomore Ignacio Sandoval and Rocabert. Those wins locked up the first win of the season for Longwood before senior Rosen Naydenov and freshman Sebastian Mezo completed the singles sweep with back-to-back wins of 6-0, 6-3 and 7-6, 6-1 at Nos. 5-6.
 
The men's win came as part of a doubleheader home sweep over the Knights alongside the Lancer women, who won 7-0 in their dueling home-court debut.
 
Longwood will now get a lengthy break before its next scheduled match, which will be a road showdown against N.C. Central in Durham, N.C., on March 5.
 
Longwood 6, Southern Virginia 1
February 25, 2021
Farmville, Va. (New Lancer Courts)
 
Singles
1. SERGIO, Guilherme (LWU) def. Marcos Dias (SVUM) 6-2, 6-4
2. SANDOVAL, Ignacio (LWU) def. Kukutla Motlojoa (SVUM) 6-4, 7-6
3. CAGIGAS, Guillermo (LWU) def. Tanner Bassett (SVUM) 6-0, 6-1
4. ROCABERT, Ernest (LWU) def. Daniel Blonquist (SVUM) 6-2, 6-1
5. NAYDENOV, Rosen (LWU) def. Paul Monson (SVUM) 6-0, 6-3
6. MEZO, Sebastian (LWU) def. Andrew Blonquist (SVUM) 7-6, 6-1
 
Doubles
1. Marcos Dias/Daniel Blonquist (SVUM) def. SERGIO, Guilherme/ROCABERT, Ernest (LWU) 6-3
2. Kukutla Motlojoa/Andrew Blonquist (SVUM) def. CASASNOVAS, Marc/SANDOVAL, Ignacio (LWU) 6-1
3. CAGIGAS, Guillermo/NAYDENOV, Rosen (LWU) def. Paul Monson/Tanner Bassett (SVUM) 6-1
 
Match Notes
Southern Virginia 0-1
Longwood 1-2
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (3,1,2,4,5,6)

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