CORPUS CHRISTI – The Texas A&M - Corpus Christi women's tennis team won its third straight match today, besting UTPA 6-1 at the Thomas J. Henry Tennis Center. The Islanders improved to 3-1 on the season with the victory.
"This was a great tennis day for the Islanders and the city of Corpus Christi," head coach Steve Moore said. "It was a very special experience to have a super champ tournament and a college dual match on the same day.
"Our match was very competitive," he continued. "I have a lot of respect for UTPA and the team they've put together. Our girls had to fight very hard and play a very focused match. It was closer than the score indicated with two three-set matches. We have a lot to get better at but we have a high-character group of girls that are highly motivated.
"I thought Chelsea Horan and Kerry Galhos played very smart and tough matches," he concluded. "They both paid the price with their feet and played very smart, efficient tennis. Celia [Rodriguez], our captain, came out and made a great statement in the singles. She and Maider [Martin] are really becoming great leaders. I was also very proud of Judit [Vives] and the adjustments she made in the third set, and very proud of Jelena [Dzinic] and the way she played in the doubles."
The doubles match featured three quick battles, with each being decided by a 6-1 score. Horan and Dzinic dispatched Dominique Esparza and Mariana Ransauher at No. 2, but the Broncs' duo of Katia Stavroulaki and Reegan Greenwood countered with a victory over Rodriguez and Martin at No. 1. That put the pressure on the No. 3 duo of Vives and Galhos, but the Islanders pair picked up a decisive win of their own over Lison LeBiavant and Christel Amsallem to earn the doubles point for the home squad.
Both Martin and Rodriguez bounced back in decisive fashion in singles play, with each taking a straight-set victory. Rodriguez dominated Ransauher with a 6-0, 6-0 victory at No. 3, and Martin finished right behind her, exacting revenge on Greenwood by posting a 6-3, 6-1 win at No. 4. Horan then clinched the match for the Islanders with a straight set win of her own, dispatching LeBiavant by a score of 6-3, 6-1 at No. 6 singles.
UTPA got a point back at No. 2 singles, as Stavroulaki fought off a tough effort from Dzinic to post a 6-2, 6-4 victory and make the score 4-1. The teams elected to play out the full third sets at both No. 1 and No. 5. At No. 1, Vives had to battle her way to a victory over Esparza. After taking the first set 6-1, Vives fell in the second set 6-3, but rebounded to post a 6-2 victory in the decisive third to push the Islanders' advantage to 5-1.
That left Galhos at No. 5, and the sophomore had a tough matchup with the Broncs' Amsallem. After rolling to a 6-1 victory in the first set, Galhos was edged 7-5 in the second. Then in the third, the two battled back-and-forth, with Galhos finally emerging with a 6-3 victory to result in a 6-1 final score in favor of the home squad.
The Islanders will return to the court on Tuesday along with the men when they travel to Prairie View. Both the men's and the women's teams will start at 2 p.m. Updates will be provided as they are available on Twitter (@IslandersTennis).
Tennis Match Results
Texas-Pan American vs Texas A&M - Corpus Christi
2/8/2015 at Corpus Christi, Texas
Texas A&M - Corpus Christi 6, Texas-Pan American 1
Singles competition
1. Judit Vives (AMCC) def. Dominique Esparza (UTPA) 6-1, 3-6, 6-2
2. Katia Stavroulaki (UTPA) def. Jelena Dzinic (AMCC) 6-2, 6-4
3. Celia Rodriguez (AMCC) def. Mariana Ranzahuer (UTPA) 6-0, 6-0
4. Maider Martin (AMCC) def. Reegan Greenwood (UTPA) 6-3, 6-1
5. Kerry Galhos (AMCC) def. Christel Amsallem (UTPA) 6-1, 5-7, 6-3
6. Chelsea Horan (AMCC) def. Lison Le Biavant (UTPA) 6-3, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Katia Stavroulaki/Reegan Greenwood (UTPA) def. Celia Rodriguez/Maider Martin (AMCC) 6-1
2. Chelsea Horan/Jelena Dzinic (AMCC) def. Dominique Esparza/Mariana Ranzahuer (UTPA) 6-1
3. Judit Vives/Kerry Galhos (AMCC) def. Lison Le Biavant/Christel Amsallem (UTPA) 6-1
Match Notes:
Texas-Pan American 3-3
Texas A&M - Corpus Christi 3-1
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (3,4,6,2,1,5)
