LAFAYETTE, La. - The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi tennis program got back on track on Friday with an emphatic statement by sweeping rival Louisiana on the road. The women left Lafayette with a perfect 4-0 victory over the Ragin' Cajuns, before the men thoroughly handled Louisiana in a 4-1 win.
WOMEN CRUISE PAST THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
The Islanders opened the day with a strong start in doubles. The number three team of
Louise Trigona and
Marina Vicens Miquel coasted to a 6-1 victory. After Louisiana evened up the doubles side at number two,
Hortense Boscher and
Jelena Dzinic put the Blue and Green up 1-0 with their 6-4 win in the first spot.
Alexandra Belle scored next for the Islanders at number six singles. The French international topped Carla Ortega 6-4, 6-0.
Maria Maldonado followed suit in the fifth spot taking the first set 6-3, before shutting out Yasmine Ansari 6-0 in the second.
The match came down to the number one battle between Boscher and Alexandra Way. The junior won in straight sets, needing a tiebreaker in the second, 6-3, 7-5 to give Corpus Christi the win.
MEN HANDLE LOUISIANA
Maximilian Ilic and
Mitchell Cook gave Corpus Christi some breathing space in number three doubles with their 6-2 win. Louisiana pulled level in the second spot as Arthur Libaud and Jamie Fraser clipped the Islanders'
Paul Cook and
Cagatay Soke 6-3.
Veteran and youth experience teamed up, as the first team of senior
Kevin Bettendroffer and freshman
William Mottet needed a tiebreaker to hold off Coleman Wahlborg and Eric Perez. The 7-6 win put Corpus Christi up 1-0.
Bettendroffer carried over the doubles momentum to number one singles. The French international cruised 6-1, 6-1, beating Pearse Dolan to make it 2-0 Islanders, before Soke dropped his point in the number two spot to Libaud, 6-1, 6-4.
Carlos Pedrosa Cuevas put the Blue and Green within reach of victory with his 6-2, 6-2 win at number four against Wahlborg.
Mottet sealed the deal by going 6-4, 6-4 over Vlad Kramarov and put the Islanders back on the winning track.
MOORE THOUGHTS
Overall thoughts after the matches…
I'm so proud of how this team went into a tough environment against a tough opponent and fought with all their hearts. I really respect Louisiana Lafayette. They always fight. This environment is as good as it gets in college tennis. It's rowdy, festive and such an intense competitive battle.
I was proud of our toughness and how we encouraged each other. Islanders Tennis is one big family supporting and encouraging each other from noon until eight o'clock at night after the match. I think our captains showed a lot of leadership and played a vital role in both teams winning today.
On the men getting back on track…
For the guys, we're so young with four freshmen in our top six. We have such a bright future and attitude. I love how our seniors are leading by example. They compete and teach our young guys so much that it's almost like having extra assistant coaches. The freshmen deserve a lot of credit for listening and applying what they see. I love the heart the guys showed after losing to a good Wichita State team by battling.
On the women bouncing back from a tough loss…
This was a big gut check for the women. The SMU match was their first loss in a long time. I was curious about how they would respond to a tough opponent. They came out a little slow at the beginning, but cranked up the intensity towards the end. I was really proud of their fight today. The two freshmen, Louise and Maria, are growing tremendously. We have such great leadership
THE LONGEST RUNNING TOURNAMENT IN COLLEGE TENNIS
The Islanders men's team will compete in the 51st Annual H-E-B Tournament of Champions on March 3 and 4. Opening round play begins on Friday at the Thomas J. Henry Tennis Center, as well as the H-E-B Tennis Center with the finals to be played on Saturday.
The women return to the courts on March 4 for the Southland Conference opener against Incarnate Word at the Thomas J. Henry Tennis Center directly following the finals of the H-E-B Tournament of Champions.
