CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – On the final day of the 50th Annual H-E-B Tournament of Champions, the No. 15 Texas Longhorns captured the prestigious tournament crown, defeating Southern Miss 4-0. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi took fourth at the H-E-B, dropping a hard-fought match 4-2 to Louisiana.
"We knew this would be a great tournament," said Texas head coach Mike Center. "I have been down here with Kansas and TCU and I knew the tradition of this tournament and knew what coach Moore has done with his program and the recognition it has gained nationally. The H-E-B attracts great teams and great programs and we're just happy to be a part of it and come out on top."
The Longhorns won all three of their matches by way of the shutout, defeating UTRGV and Louisiana before claiming the 50th title with a win over Southern Miss on Saturday.
ISLANDERS TAKE FOURTH
Meanwhile, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi took a tough loss to Louisiana in the third-place match Saturday morning. Playing without starter Paul Cook yet again, the Islanders juggled their doubles order for a third straight match.
Javier Pujol also sat out doubles after battling through severe cramping a night ago against Southern Miss. That meant the No. 2 and No. 3 pairings were overhauled from Friday's matches.
Ricardo Mayagoitia rejoined Guillaume Rauseo at the No. 2 pairing, but the seniors saw an early lead evaporate as the Ragin' Cajuns took the point. Mayagoitia and Rauseo led with an early break but the Cajuns rallied back to eventually claim the set 7-5.
Louisiana would clinch the doubles point on the third court as the Cajuns again rallied from an early hole to take the set. Playing together for the first time, Mitchell Cook and Carlos Pedrosa were solid out of the gates, gaining a 2-1 lead. The Cajuns turn the tables, getting hot and reeling off a 6-2 win to clinch the point.
SLUGFEST SINGLES
In singles play, the Islanders took the four first sets, setting the tone for a battle that would go down to the wire.
Rauseo was the first to conclude his match, winning 6-2, 6-1. Rauseo cruised for the second time in three matches, improving his record to 8-7 in singles action. The win leveled the match at 1-1, but the Cajuns struck back in short order.
Still feeling the effects from his grueling match last night, Pujol battled his way into a first set tiebreak, but fell 7-3. His opponent, Jake Wynan, found a groove in the second set and went on to win 7-6 (3), 6-3 to give Louisiana a lead at 2-1.
The Cajuns extended their lead to 3-1 with a win at No. 6. Islander Arthur Bedel got off to a hot start in the opening set, but was forced into a tiebreak by Eric Perez. Bedel won the tiebreak, but Perez would win the match, claiming the next two sets by an identical 6-3 score.
Each of the remaining three matches went to a third set. At No. 1, Kevin Bettendroffer rallied after dropping the opening set in a tiebreaker himself. Bettendroffer went 6-3, 6-3 in the second and third set to overcome the first set loss.
That brought the score to 3-2 with two matches remaining. Both Mayagoitia and Pedrosa were locked in battles on their respective courts as the Islanders needed both to win to claim third. Louisiana would prevail as the Cajuns got a win on court No. 5 to clinch the match 4-2.
UP NEXT
The Islanders open conference play next weekend against New Orleans on Sunday afternoon.
MOORE ON THE H-E-B
On the 50th edition…
"It is such an honor for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and this community to host the H-E-B. We had another great field with the No. 15 Texas Longhorns winning the championship. This was a great tournament with a lot of great tennis and we are so thankful to H-E-B for their continued support of the most prestigious college team tournament in America."
On the Islanders in the H-E-B…
"Today was a character day for us. We took a punch and now we have to decide if we get back up and fight or if we give in. We knew this tournament would be tough and today was an absolute dogfight."
