DES MOINES, IOWA - Position itself to play for as many as seven titles, the Drake men's tennis squad registered a 9-5 combined singles/doubles ledger in second day action at the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Individuals on Saturday (Jan. 23) at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center.

The quartet of junior Mauricio Ballivian (Santa Cruz, Bolivia), senior Guilherme Marsiglia (Porto Alegre, Brazil) and freshmen James McKie (Edinburgh, Scotland) and Jean Erasmus (Windhoek, Nambia) will battle in the championship singles matches at the Nos. 1, 4, 5 and 6 positions, respectively.

Both Ballivian and Marsiglia will be going after their second consecutive MVC individual crowns after capturing titles in the third and fourth flights a season ago.  It would also mark the third singles championship in Marsiglia's career.

Ballivian reached the title tilt on the strength of a 6-3, 6-3 triumph over Billy Paluch of Creighton at No. 1, while Marsiglia dispatched of Brock Reiman of Bradley, 6-2, 6-4 at No. 4.

Moving forward at No. 5 was McKie, who posted a 6-2, 6-4 decision against Southern Illinois' Orhan Spahic, while Erasmus bettered Xavier Riart-Ferrer of Illinois State, 6-4, 6-4 at No. 6.

Collecting consolation victories in the No. 7 flight were sophomore Ryan King (Wildwood, Mo.) and junior Evan Enquist (Rochester, Minn.), who celebrated his 21st birthday with the win.

In doubles, all three Drake tandems qualified for the semifinal round with identical 1-1 marks and have earned the right to attempt to capture titles in the tournament's final day on Sunday (Jan. 24).

Doubles semifinals and championship matches commence activity on Sunday at 9:00 a.m. before singles crowns will be decided in each of the seven flights.

STATE FARM MVC INDIVIDUALS

JAN. 23, 2010 - ROGER KNAPP TENNIS CENTER

SINGLES:

Mauricio Ballivian (DU) def. Billy Paluch (CU), 6-3, 6-3

Alexander Pelaez (ILS) def. Jonathan Hadash (DU), 6-4, 6-2

Guilherme Marsiglia (DU) def. Brock Reiman (BU), 6-2, 6-4

James McKie (DU) def. Orhan Spahic (SIU), 6-2, 6-4

Jean Erasmus (DU) def. Xavier Riart-Ferrer (ILS), 6-4, 6-4

Ryan King (DU) def. Pavlo Buryi (SIU), 7-6 (2), 6-1

Evan Enquist (DU) def. Trevor McGrath (BU), 6-2, 6-1

Connor Macey (CU) def. Ryan Drake (DU), 3-6, 6-1, 10-7

DOUBLES:

Ballivian/McKie (DU) def. Fraychineaud/Romic (BU), 8-4

Paluch/Christian (CU) def. Ballivian/McKie (CU), 9-8 (5)

Marsiglia/Erasmus (DU) def. Cuadrado/Reiman (BU), 8-6

Reichelt/Zlatkovic (ILS) def. Marsiglia/Erasmus (DU), 8-3

Hadash/King (DU) def. Riart-Ferrer/Hobson (ILS), 8-3

Obrist/Cavalcanti (WSU) def. Hadash/King (DU), 8-6