ST. PETERSBURG – Freshman Arthur Viallaneix combined with senior Charles Garneau for the go-ahead point in doubles play and then secured the match with a straight-set singles win as #32 Florida Southern defeated Eckerd 6-3.
The Moccasins (1-5, 1-2 Sunshine State Conference) scored the first point of the match when sophomore Fabian Lundberg (Akersberga, Sweden) and sophomore Laurent Mailloux (Montreal, QB) dispatched Yosua Adiyasa and Frazier Springfield 8-3 at the top doubles flight, but the Tritons (0-3, 0-2) knotted the score with a win at No. 3 doubles. Viallaneix and Garneau (L'ancienne-Lorette, QB) then pulled out an 8-6 win at the second position for their first win in two matches as playing partners.
Florida Southern picked up the first two points of singles play when Mailloux won 6-1, 6-2 at No. 2, and freshman Brian Slivonik (Oyster Bay, N.Y.) won by the same score at No. 6. After Eckerd earned a point at No. 5, Viallaneix gave Florida Southern the match victory with his 6-4, 6-4 decision over Springfield at No. 3. The clincher was the first career win for the freshman from Apopka.
Though Eckerd would win another singles match at No. 4, the Moccasins ended the day with a 3-set win from Lundberg at No. 1 after he dropped the first set and won the second, 7-5. Lundberg has now split his two matches after moving into the top flight this week.
Florida Southern will return to action on Sunday, March 1 as they travel to Orlando to face Montana State-Billings at 9 a.m.
