Sept. 13, 2014

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - The Lamar men's and women's tennis teams opened up the 2014-15 season Friday split between the Marco & Co. Catering Islanders Open and the Racquet Club Collegiate Invitational. Weather limited the first day of competition, but Lamar was able to get several matches in Friday.

Senior Niko Rajamaki was the bright spot for the LU men. He easily dispensed of Incarnate Word's Tucker Brown (6-2, 6-2) to advance to the second round. Rajamaki's second round opponent - UTPA's Hector Ramirez - was finished off just as quickly. Rajamaki recorded a 6-2, 6-4 win to advance to the next round against A&M-Corpus Christi's Ricardo Mayagoitia Saturday.

On the women's side, Lamar's Anne Spengler recorded a 6-1, 6-1 victory over UTPA's Lison Le Biavant in the opening round. Spengler, a sophomore Essen, German, dropped her second-round match to UTSA's Miriam Rosell, but Rosell was playing with fresh legs having received a bye in the opening round of action. Freshman Teodora Stefanovic, sophomore Katya Lapayeva and sophomore Hanna Elfing all put up strong performances in their opening-round matches but came up short.

Lapayeva and Spengler were one of only two doubles matches to be completed before lightning delays shortened the first day, but they were able to pick up the win (8-4) over the doubles team from UTSA.

The second day of competition at the Marco & Co. Catering Islander Open will get under way at 9 a.m.

Results from the Racquet Club Collegiate Invitational were not available at press time.

-LAMAR-