CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – After dropping just their second match of the season last night, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's tennis bounced back strong in today's matchup against New Mexico State. The Islanders hit the ground running in singles, ultimately earning a 4-1 victory over the Aggies. With that win, the Islanders secured a third-place finish at the HEB Tournament of Champions.
"I'm just so proud of the guts, grit and character of this team," said Coach Steve Moore. "They had every reason to make excuses today, and instead chose the character, toughness road. They should feel very good about themselves, because they chose to fight with all their heart, like a family for each other. Our captains were incredible today, and chose to be great leaders. I'm really proud of the heart of this team."
"I cannot begin to express our gratitude for HEB," Moore continued. "They made this grand event possible for the Corpus Christi community and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. HEB's generosity has brought something so cherished and special to this city – the HEB Tournament of Champions, the longest running college team tournament in America at 52 years in a row. That says it all."
FINAL STATS
TAMU-CC 4, NMSU 1
Singles: Order of Finish – 2,3,6,1,5
1.
William Mottet (AMCC) def. Goncalves, Chris (NMSU) 4-6, 7-5, 6-2
2. Thomas Rodrigues (AMCC) def. Flores, Luis Pliego (NMSU) 6-1, 6-0
3. Carlos Pedrosa (AMCC) def. de Haan, Stijn (NMSU) 7-5, 6-2
4.
Kyohei Yamanaka (AMCC) vs. Asmar, Enrique (NMSU) 4-6, 6-3, 3-3, unfinished.
5.
Biyik Akinshemoyin (AMCC) def. Benitez, Mauri (NMSU) 5-7, 6-1, 6-4
6. Menard, Louis (NMSU) def.
Lars Bijsterbosch (AMCC) 6-1, 7-5
Doubles: Scheduled, but not played.
1. Goncalves, Chris/Flores, Luis Pliego (NMSU) vs.
William Mottet/Thomas Rodrigues (AMCC) Scheduled, but not played.
2. de Haan, Stijn/Benitez, Mauri (NMSU) vs.
Lars Bijsterbosch/
Kyohei Yamanaka (AMCC) Scheduled, but not played.
3. Asmar, Enrique/Menard, Louis (NMSU) vs.
Daiki Tanabe/
David Ambrozic (AMCC) Scheduled, but not played.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Islanders men travel to San Antonio for their second match against UTSA this season. The match is set to take place Wednesday, March 7 at 2 PM. In regaining their momentum with today's win, the Islanders hope to stay on track with a second victory over the Roadrunners this year!
