BEAUMONT, Texas – Outlasting rival No. 2 UTRGV 4-2 in a Southland Conference semifinal thriller, the third-seeded men's tennis team of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi secured its spot in the championship match set for Tuesday at the Beaumont Municipal Tennis Center.
With a berth in the NCAA Tournament on the line, the No. 3 Islanders will face top-seeded UIW Tuesday at 10 a.m. The Islanders will be going for their first NCAA appearance since 2023 and 11
th tournament title in program history.
The matchup delivered all the tension expected from the in-state rivalry as the two split their two meetings earlier this season, swinging dramatically after UTRGV claimed the doubles point. The Vaqueros took courts one and two to seize the early 1-0 lead, putting A&M-Corpus Christi in an immediate hole.
The Islanders answered with resilience in singles, where four courts were tightly contested deep into the afternoon.
Josef Zapletal got the rally started on court five, cruising through the first set before holding off a late push to secure a 6-1, 7-5 victory and even the team score at 1-1. Moments later,
Ethan Dasset gave A&M-Corpus Christi its first lead of the day, handling his opposition 6-3, 6-4 on court four for a 2-1 advantage.
UTRGV refused to fade, and the tension intensified as matches stretched into deciding sets across the remaining courts.
Etienne Marty delivered a pivotal swing on court three. After dropping the opening set 6-1, he regrouped and dominated the next two sets 6-2, 6-3 to push the Islanders within one point of the clinch at 3-1.
The Vaqueros responded on the top line, trimming the deficit to 3-2 and shifting all eyes to the final courts where on court six,
Maxime Salesses rose to the moment. After dropping the first set 6-3, he battled through a second-set tiebreak and carried that momentum into the decider, closing out a 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 victory to clinch the match and send the Islanders into celebration.
The win sets up a championship showdown against No. 1 seed UIW, with the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament on the line. The Islanders already hold the conference records for overall championships (23) and NCAA Tournament appearances (10) but will look to extend those historic numbers in tomorrow's showdown.
The title match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
A&M-Corpus Christi Tennis
- 17 NCAA Tournaments
- 37 SLC Championships
- 4 Top-40 National Rankings
- 3.0 GPA 43 Straight Semesters
- Islanders have received a No. 3 seed at the NCAA Tournament three times
- Women's tennis has cracked the ITA top-75 national rankings three times
- Men's tennis has cracked the ITA national rankings 10 consecutive years
- Ranked nationally in NCAA DI as high as No. 35 for the men and No. 60 for the women
#ShakasUp
