Atlantic 10 Conference Semifinals
Score: #1 VCU 4, #5 Richmond 1
Location: Orlando, Fla. (USTA National Campus)
Records: VCU 15-9, Richmond 14-11

The short story: Two VCU players claimed both singles and doubles wins Saturday to propel the top-seeded Rams past fifth-seeded Richmond and into the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship Match for the sixth straight season. The Rams, the defending A-10 champs, will take on the winner of Dayton and Davidson Sunday at 10 a.m. in Orlando, Fla.

OPENING SERVE

• Sophomore Ignacio Rivero Crespo captured a singles and doubles win for the second straight day. He bested Joseph Nardini in straight sets (6-2, 6-0) on the No. 6 court and teamed with junior Philip Mobius for a victory on the No. 3 doubles court.
• With two other singles matches tightening, junior Arvid Noren clinched the VCU win when he dispatched Caleb Troy 6-2, 6-4 on the No. 1 court.
• Noren also paired with freshman Inigo Torre Martin for a win on the No. 2 doubles court

NOTABLES

• On Sunday, VCU will aim for its 19^th conference title in Coach Paul Kostin's 28 seasons as head coach for the Rams' men's program
• With a win Sunday, the Rams would earn a second straight NCAA berth and the program's 22^nd all-time.
• VCU has won two A-10 titles (2013 and 2017) since joining the league prior to the 2012-13 season. The Rams have appeared in the A-10 Championship Match in each of their six seasons as a league member.
• VCU improved to 33-8 all-time against Richmond. Kostin has never lost to the crosstown Spiders (28-0) in 28 seasons.

NEXT UP
VCU will take on either Dayton or Davidson in the A-10 Championship Match at 10 a.m. in Orlando, Fla. at the USTA National Campus.

RESULTS
#1 VCU 4, #5 RICHMOND 1
Singles
1-Arvid Noren (VCU) def. Caleb Troy, 6-2, 6-4
2-Vitor Lima (VCU) def. Matt Fernandez, 6-2, 6-3
3-James Aronson (UR) def. Philip Mobius, 6-1, 6-2
4-Klein Evans (UR) led Javier Amantegui, 6-4, 5-3 DNF
5-Inigo Torre Martin (VCU) led George Lovitt, 7-6 (6), 2-2 DNF
6-Ignacio Rivero Crespo (VCU) def. Joseph Nardini, 6-2, 6-0
Order of finish: 3, 6, 2, 1

Doubles
1-Lima/Amantegui (VCU) led Troy/Aronson, 5-4 DNF
2-Torre Martin/Noren (VCU) def. Polender/Evans, 6-1
3-Mobius/Rivero Crespo (VCU) def. Fernandex/Lovitt, 6-3
Order of finish: 2, 3