Corpus Christi – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi tennis program had a strong start to its fall season today at the 2015 Marco & Co. Catering Islanders Open. Four members of the Islanders men's team and six Islanders from the women's program battled their way into the quarterfinals in the singles division against players from UT-Rio Grande Valley, UT-San Antonio, the Incarnate Word, and UT-Arlington.
"We competed very hard today and played with a lot of sprit," director of tennis Steve Moore said of his team. "We encouraged each other well in every match. During these long days at tournaments, the boost from the team gives us an advantage, which I believe is the strength of this team. I was very impressed with our newcomers today, all three played exceptionally well.
Kevin Bettendroffer and Ricardo Mayagoitia produced straight-set victories against opponents from UTSA and UIW, respectively, to progress to the quarterfinals as the no. 1 and 2 seeds. For the women, Marina Miquel, Celia Rodriguez, Hortense Boscher, Maider Martin, Jelena Dzinic and Judit Vivesfill the quarterfinal bracket dominated by A&M-Corpus Christi players.
In doubles play, after the tournament moved indoors due to the torrential downpour in the afternoon, Bettendroffer and Rauseo were the only team from A&M-Corpus Christi to move on to the quarterfinals. The Islanders will have three teams in the women's section competing in the same round.Alexandra Belle and Boscher defeated UTRGV in their first match 8-5, before eliminating a team from UIW with an 8-4 victory to set up a match against UTSA, while two Islanders teams will face each other in the other quarterfinal.
Marco & Co. Catering has sponsored the Islanders Open every year since 2010, when the ITA awarded the tournament to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
"I would be absolutely remiss if I didn't send my gratitude to Marco & Co. Catering for their amazing food," Moore added. "The food is always a highlight of the tournament, especially for the visiting teams. I have to send a big thanks Gerald TJon-A-Joe at H-E-B Tennis Center and Billy Morehouse at Corpus Christi Athletic Club for allowing us to use their space when the rain came pouring down on us outside. Allowing the tournament to be moved indoors is a huge positive for a high-level ITA tournament like the Marco & Co. Catering Islanders Open. The support of this community and great Islanders supporters, such as Marco & Co. Catering, the H-E-B Tennis Center and the Corpus Christi Athletic Club always has been and always will be a pillar of this team's success."
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