LYNCHBURG, Va. — Middle Tennessee claimed its sixth consecutive Conference USA title Sunday, shutting out Liberty 4-0 and punching its ticket to the NCAA tournament.
 
The match against Liberty showed early promise for the Flames, who jumped out to an early lead on two doubles courts. But the Blue Raiders responded with a dominant performance to seal the win.
 
It started with Shu Matsuoka and Igor Mandou Berranger, who defeated Matika Samarszic and Ernst Gouws 6-3 on Court three. Coming off a win over Kennesaw State, the MTSU pair continued their strong form to get the Blue Raiders on the board.
 
Liberty struck back with Joaquim Almeida and Siwanat Auytayakul taking down Karim Al-Amin and Ondrej Horak 6-4 on Court one, setting the stage for a decisive battle on Court two.
 
In a back-and-forth contest that showcased the intensity of postseason tennis, Jakub Kroslak and Rostislav Halfinger edged out Carl Roothman and Trey Stinchcomb 7-5, clinching the doubles point for MTSU and shifting the momentum heading into singles play.
 
Singles action echoed the previous day's win over Kennesaw State. Kroslak got Middle Tennessee on the board first with a commanding 6-3, 6-2 win over Auytayakul. Moments later, Horak delivered a near-flawless performance on Court two, defeating Roothman 6-1, 6-4.
 
With three courts headed to a third set, it was Al-Amin who stepped up to close the match. After cruising through the first set, he faced a strong challenge from Almeida in the second. Despite seeing a lead vanish, Al-Amin dug in and closed it out 7-5, securing the 4-0 sweep and the title for Middle Tennessee.
 
The victory also earned the Blue Raiders their eighth NCAA tournament appearance in program history.
 
From Coach Jimmy Borendame
 
"The season has been an absolute nightmare with adversity at every corner. It started on the first day of school and just kept coming like a recurring nightmare. This has easily been the most difficult season of my life. The guys hung in, dug deep, and it wasn't always pretty. But what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I know it's cliché, but it's true. These guys are fighters, and no one will want to see us in the NCAAs. I'm proud of this team."
 
Up next
 
The Blue Raiders have secured a spot in the NCAA Regionals. They will await their selection, with the date of the selection show still to be announced. The NCAA tournament is set to begin May 2.