Islanders Roll Nicholls, Return to Title Match

BEAUMONT, Texas – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's tennis is back in the Southland Conference Championship match for a fifth-straight year after cruising to a 4-0 win over Nicholls in Saturday's semifinals.
 
After an hour-long delay due to lightning in the area, the Islanders showed no ill-effects from the delay as the Blue and Green raced to an early lead with the doubles point.
 
Mitchell Cook and Maximilian Ilic provided the quick start by cruising to a 6-0 victory in doubles. The senior pairing helped the Islanders seize the early momentum with the rout of Leo Santos and Cornelius Schramm.
 
"Max and Mitch set the tone," said Director of Tennis Steve Moore. "They are great senior leaders. Those guys care so much and have poured so much hear and soul into this team. What you've really seen from those guys is they've really elevated their game through hard work and sacrifice. They're playing 300-percent better than last year and 100-percent better than last month."
 
Paul Cook and Cagatay Soke finished off the doubles point with a win at two. The Islanders' pairing created early separation and earned a 6-3 victory to give the Blue and Green a 1-0 lead.
 
The Islanders made sure to capitalize on the early momentum by earning three straight-set singles victories.
 
Carlos Pedrosa Cuevas kept the Blue and Green rolling with a quick 6-1, 6-0 victory at number five. The sophomore kept his perfect Southland record intact with the win over Leo Santos.
 
Gonzalo Achondo followed shortly after Pedrosa Cuevas just one court over at number six. The freshman and First Team All-Southland selection cruised past Cornelius Schramm in straight sets, winning 6-1, 6-3.
 
"Carlos and Gonzalo have grown their mental toughness so much," said Moore. "They had to learn and have learned. They're tough, smart and saavy. We really believe in those two guys. They've been big for us the last two matches. One thing I know about them is they're always going to fight."
 
With a 3-0 lead, the remaining Islanders were racing to produce the final and clinching point for the Blue and Green. It would be another freshman, William Mottet, who sent the Islanders on to Sunday's championship match.
 
Mottet knocked off Max Sinn by a 6-3, 6-2 final to clinch the Blue and Green's fifth straight trip to the title match.
 
When the match ended, Kevin Bettendroffer and Cagatay Soke each led by a set.
 
CHAMPIONSHIP TILT
 
The victory pits the Islanders against rival Lamar in the championship match at 11 a.m. Sunday morning.
 
"This is what you're in it for," said Moore. "You're not in it to get rich or to have your weekends off because you're never going to. You're in it to play in these moments. On September 1st we made a commitment as men and women that we were going to outwork everybody. I feel this group is very well prepared and has earned the right to be confident. We just have to control the things we can control and play every point with intensity."
 
To track the Islanders in the title match, follow @IslandersTennis on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.