NEW ORLEANS, La. – The No. 40 ranked men's team (11-3, 1-0 SLC) who moved up 15 spots to earn their highest team ranking since the 2009 season in the ITA national rankings today, clinched their eighth straight victory with a 6-1 win over New Orleans at the University Tennis Center.
The women's team (8-6, 2-2 SLC) battled New Orleans for four and a half hours and in the end claimed their second straight Southland Conference win of the season with 6-1 victory over UNO (9-7, 2-4 SLC). The Islanders clinched the doubles point before winning five singles matches, including three three-setters.
"Just a strong salute to our women's team today," Director of Tennis Steve Moore said. "They had a tough start, going 0-2 against two of the top teams in our conference and then they go on the road in Louisiana and pull out both matches just fighting and being gritty. The gritty toughness that these girls showed really represents the heart of this team.
"I'm always so proud of the character of these girls but never more than the character they showed to go on the road and grind out these two matches. Their character isn't just good, it's exceptional. They are back in the hunt now and they know it. Sometimes I think the road is good for us because we bond together, we fight for each other and we are all each other has. Sometimes you need a good road trip to springboard your team."
In doubles play, the junior tandem of Celia Rodriguez and Maider Martin teamed up for an 8-3 win over Soledad Calderon and Marta Sans at No. 1 doubles for their second straight conference win. The freshman-senior duo of Jelena Dzinic and Chelsea Horan then defeated Anja Luethi and Anna Segarra Rius, 8-5, to clinch the doubles point and their fourth straight match at No. 2 doubles.
The Islanders kept things rolling in their favor as they garnered three straight singles matches to capture the match. At No. 5 singles, Kerry Galhos breezed to a 6-1, 6-2 straight-set win over Yasmine Rashad, before Martin earned her 10th win of the season at No. 4 singles. The junior defeated Rius 6-4, 7-5 for the Islanders' third point of the day. Horan then followed suit with a tough three-set win at No. 6 singles over Hafsa Laraibi to clinch the match. The senior dropped the first set, 6-2, before bouncing back to garner a 6-4 second-set win. In the third, Horan cruised to a 6-3 third-set win.
The Islanders and Privateers finished out the match as all three went into third sets. Dzinic defeated Luethi, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 at No. 2 singles, before UNO earned their first point of the day at No. 1 singles. Judit Vives fell 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (5) to Calderon before Rodriguez improved to 7-0 at No. 3 singles in the final match of the day. She edged out Sans 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-5 to improve to 8-3 on the year.
Reigning Southland Conference regular season and tournament champions men's team secured the doubles point before picking up five of the six singles matches to earn their first Southland win of the season over the Privateers (6-7, 2-1 SLC).
"The guys are playing with tremendous confidence and they are pushing each other extremely hard," Moore said. "They are confident they have worked hard and how disciplined they have been. I feel they have earned the right to play confident."
The freshman-senior duo of Arthur Bedel and Peter Nagy defeated Timo Kranz and Romain Lefevre, 8-4, at No. 1 doubles before Kevin Bettendroffer and Guillaume Rauseo downed Rui Silva and Blake Gregor, 8-5, at No. 2 doubles to clinch the point and their sixth straight match. The duo has now registered a 6-0 mark in the No. 2 slot.
The Islanders quickly built their lead as No. 70 ranked Peter Nagy, who moved up three spots today in the ITA singles rankings and earned Southland Conference Player of the Week honors, downed Kranz, 6-1, 6-1 at No. 1 singles. The senior improved his mark to 11-1 at No. 1 singles and has won six straight, including three wins over ranked opponents. Nagy has compiled a 16-1 career record in the Southland, with his only loss in his career in conference play coming during his freshman year.
A&M - Corpus Christi then padded its lead to 3-0 after junior Ricardo Mayagoitia downed Gonzalo Garcia, 6-0, 6-1 at No. 3 singles. Bettendroffer then took care of business at No. 2 singles with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Silva, to clinch the win. In the other three singles matches, Bedel topped Giacomo Adoncecchi at No. 6 singles for his fifth win of the season. UNO then earned their first point of the day after Lefevre defeated Javier Pujol in a tight three-setter. Pujol dropped the first set, 7-6 (5) before bouncing back to earn a 6-4 second-set win. In the third, Lefevre garnered a 10-7 super tiebreaker win. Rauseo capped off the match with a three-set thriller over Gregor in the No. 4 slot. Rauseo edged out Gregor 7-5 in the first set before dropping a 7-6 (2) second-set loss. In the third, the junior rose up and captured a 10-7 super tiebreaker victory. Rauseo has now won six of his last seven matches at No. 4 singles to improve to 8-4 in dual-match action.
The men's team will now travel to Rice to compete in the 57th Rice Invitational on March 28-29. The Islanders will face Louisiana, Rice and George Washington over the two-day event. The women's team will return home to host McNeese State on Friday, March 27, at 5 p.m. at the Thomas J. Henry Tennis Center.
For all the latest on Islanders Tennis, like the team on Facebook (IslandersTennis) and follow them on Twitter and Instagram (@IslandersTennis). Fans can also receive updates on both teams by downloading the Islanders Front Row App at GoIslanders.com/frontrow.
Men's Tennis Match Results
Texas A&M - Corpus Christi vs. New Orleans
3/24/2015 at New Orleans, La.
#40 Texas A&M - Corpus Christi 6, New Orleans 1
Singles competition
1. #70 Peter Nagy (AMCC) def. Timo Kranz (UNO) 6-1, 6-1
2. Kevin Bettendroffer (AMCC) def. Rui Silva (UNO) 6-2, 6-4
3. Ricardo Mayagoitia (AMCC) def. Gonzalo Garcia (UNO) 6-0, 6-1
4. Guillaume Rauseo (AMCC) def. Blake Gregor (UNO) 7-5, 6-7 (2-7), 10-7
5. Romain Lefevre (UNO) def. Javier Pujol (AMCC) 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 10-7
6. Arthur Bedel (AMCC) def. Giacomo Adoncecchi (UNO) 6-4, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Peter Nagy/Arthur Bedel (AMCC) def. Timo Kranz/Romain Lefevre (UNO) 8-4
2. Kevin Bettendroffer/Guillaume Rauseo (AMCC) def. Rui Silva/Blake Gregor (UNO) 8-5
3. Ricardo Mayagoitia/Paul Cook (AMCC) def. Giacomo Adoncecchi/Christoffer Appelgre (UNO) 7-6, unfinished
Match Notes:
Texas A&M - Corpus Christi 11-3, 1-0 SLC; National ranking #40
New Orleans 6-7, 2-1 SLC
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (1,3,2,6,5,4)
Women's Tennis Match Results
Texas A&M - Corpus Christi vs. New Orleans
3/24/2015 at New Orleans, La.
Texas A&M - Corpus Christi 6, New Orleans 1
Singles competition
1. Soledad Calderon (UNO) def. Judit Vives (AMCC) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5)
2. Jelena Dzinic (AMCC) def. Anja Luethi (UNO) 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
3. Celia Rodriguez (AMCC) def. Marta Sans (UNO) 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 7-5
4. Maider Martin (AMCC) def. Anna Segarra Rius (UNO) 6-4, 7-5
5. Kerry Galhos (AMCC) def. Yasmine Rashad (UNO) 6-1, 6-2
6. Chelsea Horan (AMCC) def. Hafsa Laraibi (UNO) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Celia Rodriguez/Maider Martin (AMCC) def. Soledad Calderon/Marta Sans (UNO) 8-3
2. Jelena Dzinic/Chelsea Horan (AMCC) def. Anja Luethi/Anna Segarra Rius (UNO) 8-5
3. Hafsa Laraibi/Yasmine Rashad (UNO) vs. Judit Vives/Kerry Galhos (AMCC) 6-5, unfinished
Match Notes:
Texas A&M - Corpus Christi 8-6, 2-2 SLC
New Orleans 9-7, 2-4 SLC
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (5,4,6,2,1,3)
