BEAUMONT, Texas – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's tennis returned to the Beaumont Municipal Tennis Center Sunday morning, taking on Lamar in the Southland Conference tournament championship. In a nail biter for the SLC Title, the Islanders fought throughout the entire match with heart and grit. But, the men fell just short, falling to the Cardinals 4-3.
The Islanders came out on fire, quickly securing the doubles point to start the match. Carrying that momentum into singles play, the men improved their lead to 3-1, with three matches remaining. But, Lamar kept their composure, securing the next two points to even the match at three-a-piece. The match point rested at No. 5 singles. In the third set, with the match tied 3-3, the two competed in a nail-biter for the Southland Conference Championship. Ultimately, Mayr was able to close it out, winning the last point 6-4 to secure the victory for the Cardinals.
"This was one of the best college tennis matches I've ever been a part of," said Coach Steve Moore. "You just have to salute Lamar. I thought both teams deserved to win. I'm proud of the way our guys fought. It's hard to have a match-point to go to the NCAA's and not go. But, these are the moments that define your character. You have to stand tall, honor your opponent, and stick together. This was a great college tennis match. A lot of high-character kids, fighting with all their hearts. Even in a loss, there's something incredibly special and fulfilling about that. We wish Lamar the best in the NCAA Tournament."
"It's very hard to say goodbye to our seniors," Moore continued. "Biyik is one of the most special young men I've ever had the privilege to coach. He just gave his whole heart to the team. It's just hard to say goodbye to such a special and high-character young man."
FINAL STATS
AMCC 3, Lamar 4
Singles: Order of Finish – 6,3,4,2,1,5
1. Benny Schweizer (LU) def. Francois Kellerman (AMCC) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4
2. Sebastian Santibanez (LU) def. William Mottet (AMCC) 6-4, 6-3
3. Carlos Pedrosa Cuevas (AMCC) def. Arthur Serafim (LU) 6-2, 6-3
4. Logan Powell (LU) def. Thomas Rodrigues Lopes (AMCC) 6-3, 6-3
5. Nicolas Mayr (LU) def. Okkie Kellerman (AMCC) 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5), 6-4
6. Kyohei Yamanaka (AMCC) def. Carlos Paton Canal (LU) 6-3, 6-0
Doubles: Order of Finish – 1,2
1. Francois Kellerman/Okkie Kellerman (AMCC) def. Logan Powell/Benny Schweizer (LU) 6-1
2. William Mottet/Thomas Rodrigues Lopes (AMCC) def. Carlos Paton Canal/Sebastian Santibanez (LU) 6-3
3. Biyik Akinshemoyin/David Ambrozic (AMCC) def. Nicolas Mayr/Roy Stepanov (LU) 5-3
