PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – The Texas A&M - Corpus Christi men's and women's tennis teams cruised to a pair of victories over Prairie View A&M today. The women's team swept the Panthers 6-0 to improve to 4-1, while the men breezed to a 7-0 victory for their third straight win.
"I liked the intensity that we played with today, and I liked the spirit and encouragement that the players who did not play gave their teammates," Director of Tennis Steve Moore said. "I always believe that the passion from the bench is one of the most under estimated factors in any sporting event. This team really prides itself in making the choice to be great at that encouragement and passion from the ones that don't play. We don't always max out in that area, but today I really liked what I saw.
"Overall I thought today was a good team effort. We are getting better and we are growing closer every week."
The women's team took care of business early on, quickly picking up the doubles point with wins on courts two and three. In No. 3 doubles, the sophomore duo of Judit Vives and Kerry Galhos downed the Panthers' (2-8) Maria Lackey and Shaddae Findley, 6-1, for their third straight win. Freshman Jelena Dzinic and senior Chelsea Horan then teamed up for a 6-0 win over Tatiana Lea Ruhl and Stacy Lackey in No. 2 doubles for their third consecutive win as well. Juniors Celia Rodriguez and Maider Martin were even at 3-3 with Taylor LeFridge and Sydney Thomas at No. 1 doubles when the point was clinched.
The Islanders carried over the momentum into singles play with five straight-set wins. Rodriguez earned the Islanders their second point of the day with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Findley in No. 3 singles. It marked her second straight match where she didn't lose a game, and she now holds a 3-0 mark. Dzinic followed suit with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Thomas at No. 2 singles, and Galhos dispatched M. Lackey, 6-1, 6-0 at No. 5 singles to clinch the match for the Islanders.
A&M - Corpus Christi tacked on two more points as Martin garnered a 6-0, 6-1 win over S. Lackey at the No. 4 slot, for her fourth consecutive win and Vives topped LeFridge 7-5, 6-2, in No. 1 singles for her fourth straight win as well.
"Celia was excellent setting the tone for us and I thought that Jelena and Chelsea were rock solid again in their doubles," Moore said.
The men's team (3-0) got off to a slow start as Peter Nagy and Guillaume Rauseo dropped a 6-3 loss to Christian Waldron and Sergio Avella of PVAM (0-4) in No. 1 doubles. However, the Islanders quickly answered on the other two courts as freshman Arthur Bedel and junior Mitchell Cook teamed up for the first time this season and registered a 6-3 win over Jonathan Dingle and James Jackson, Jr., in No. 3 doubles. A&M - Corpus Christi then secured the doubles point after the sophomore tandem of Kevin Bettendroffer and Paul Cook powered their way to a 6-3 win over Bruno Snyder and Santiago Quintero in No. 2 doubles for their second consecutive win.
Nagy, the reigning two-time Southland Conference Player of the Year, started the Islanders off to a strong start in singles after securing a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Waldron in the No. 1 slot. The senior has now tallied three straight wins at No. 1 singles. P. Cook padded the Islanders to 3-0 at No. 4 singles after posting a 6-3, 6-1 win over Dingle. It marked his first career win at No. 4 singles.
The Islanders then clinched the match at No. 3 singles after Rauseo defeated Avella, 7-5, 6-4. Bedel, in his first career singles match, gave the Islanders their fifth point of the day in the No. 5 slot after cruising to a 6-0, 6-1 win over Quintero. Bettendroffer followed with a three-set win over Snyder, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-2, before M. Cook recorded his first dual-match singles win of his Islander career. With his teammates cheering him on, the junior bested Jackson, Jr., 6-4, 6-3 in No. 6 singles to give the Islanders their seventh and final point of the match.
"Peter did a great job in his singles match," Moore added. "I thought the brightest spot for our team was Arthur Bedel and Mitchell Cook. They played very tough and very focused today, and I was very proud of their contribution."
The men's team will now embark on a three-match road swing, starting with a match against SMU in Dallas on Thursday, Feb. 12. The women's team will have a break before returning to action on Thursday, Feb. 19, at home against UTSA.
For all the latest on Islanders Tennis, like the team on Facebook (IslandersTennis) and follow them on Twitter and Instagram (@IslandersTennis).
Women's Tennis Match Results
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs. Prairie View A&M
2/10/2015 at Prairie View, Texas
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 6, Prairie View A&M 0
Singles competition
1. Judit Vives (AMCC) def. Taylor LeFridge (PVAM) 7-5, 6-2
2. Jelena Dzinic (AMCC) def. Sydney Thomas (PVAM) 6-0, 6-0
3. Celia Rodriguez (AMCC) def. Shaddae Findley (PVAM) 6-0, 6-0
4. Maider Martin (AMCC) def. Stacy Lackey (PVAM) 6-0, 6-1
5. Kerry Galhos (AMCC) def. Maria Lackey (PVAM) 6-1, 6-0
6. Chelsea Horan (AMCC) vs. Tatiana Lea Ruhl (PVAM) no result
Doubles competition
1. Taylor LeFridge/Sydney Thomas (PVAM) vs. Celia Rodriguez/Maider Martin (AMCC) 3-3, unfinished
2. Jelena Dzinic/Chelsea Horan (AMCC) def. Tatiana Lea Ruhl/Stacy Lackey (PVAM) 6-0
3. Judit Vives/Kerry Galhos (AMCC) def. Maria Lackey/Shaddae Findley (PVAM) 6-1
Match Notes:
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 4-1
Prairie View A&M 2-8
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (3,2,5,4,1)
Men's Tennis Match Results
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs. Prairie View A&M
2/10/2015 at Prairie View, Texas
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 7, Prairie View A&M 0
Singles competition
1. Peter Nagy (AMCC) def. Christian Waldron (PVAM) 6-0, 6-3
2. Kevin Bettendroffer (AMCC) def. Bruno Snyder (PVAM) 6-7 (4-7), 6-1, 6-2
3. Guillaume Rauseo (AMCC) def. Sergio Avella (PVAM) 7-5, 6-4
4. Paul Cook (AMCC) def. Jonathan Dingle (PVAM) 6-3, 6-1
5. Arthur Bedel (AMCC) def. Santiago Quintero (PVAM) 6-0, 6-1
6. Mitchell Cook (AMCC) def. James Jackson, Jr. (PVAM) 6-4, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Christian Waldron/Sergio Avella (PVAM) def. Peter Nagy/Guillaume Rauseo (AMCC) 6-3
2. Kevin Bettendroffer/Paul Cook (AMCC) def. Bruno Snyder/Santiago Quintero (PVAM) 6-3
3. Arthur Bedel/Mitchell Cook (AMCC) def. Jonathan Dingle/James Jackson, Jr. (PVAM) 6-3
Match Notes:
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 3-0
Prairie View A&M 0-4
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (1,4,3,5,2,6)
