ATHENS, Ga. – Elon doubles pairs posted a 4-1 mark at the Southern Intercollegiate Championships before rain halted men’s tennis action on Sunday afternoon on the campus of the University of Georgia. The Phoenix had two pairs remaining in the main draw prior to the inclement weather. Sophomore Carlos Arboleda had an impressive singles showing, advancing to the semifinals of the Division III singles draw.

Arboleda won his first four matches of competition, winning the first three in straight sets. He opened play with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Chattanooga’s Stephen Crofford and followed that by defeating Jordan Girdley of LSU, 6-1, 6-2. Arboleda dispatched Tennessee’s Bryan Swartz, 6-1, 6-2, before pulling off a 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-4 win over Davidson’s Walker Lyons. In the semifinals, Paul Bartholomy of Wofford managed a 6-3, 6-4 defeat of the Elon sophomore.

“It was great to see Carlos have such a strong tournament after he worked so hard on his game this summer,” commented Elon head coach Michael Leonard.

In doubles, senior Philip Nemec and freshman Wesley Barrett took an 8-4 win over Southern Conference foes Carson Kadi and Garrison Laduca of Samford. The duo took its next match by a score of 8-6, defeating another league opponent in Chris Mark and Walker Lyons of Davidson. Nemec and Barrett advanced to the quarterfinals after a default by Memphis, but the rains stopped the tandem from finishing the tournament.

Elon’s Tommy Darling and Eric Turner earned an 8-6 win over Eastern Kentucky’s Parul Verma and Charles Pons before falling to a team from Louisiana State, 9-8 (2). Prior to the bad weather, Cody Stauffer-MacDowell and Alberto Rojas advanced with an 8-2 defeat of Samford’s Scott Foster and Mark Lange.

In other singles play, Turner, Barrett and Darling all picked up victories in their first matches. Nemec and Rojas advanced in the consolation singles bracket but did not finish the tournament because of weather.

Elon will continue fall play when it hosts the Elon Invitational on Oct. 8-10 at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.