Mustangs beat Cameron University and the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith.
With great confidence and a keen desire to win, the Midwestern State men’s tennis team served Cameron University with a 5-4 defeat last Wednesday at the MSU Tennis Center.
The Mustangs lost in the first set of doubles but played with intensity to excel in the remaining sets. Cameron’s Thomas Peixoto and Nicolai Ferrigno defeated Jarrod Liston and Tomas Grejtak 8-3 as the hosts marked their only loss in the doubles competition. Colby Meeks and Mario Urban combined forces to put away Mateus Campos and Gonzalo Garzon 8-5 while Luke Joyce teamed up with Kacper Boborykin to tear apart Duje Janjic and Dean Wiegelt 9-8.
Midwestern State needed three wins in the singles competition to secure victory against the Aggies. Joyce satisfied his will to win with a 6-4, 6-4 conquest over Janjic while Liston followed suit with two remarkable sets that ended 6-4 and 6-2 to the dismay of Garzon. But the Mustangs weren’t having a perfect afternoon; Meeks trailed 6-3, 6-3 to Ferrigno and Urban’s tough encounter with Peixoto ended 7-6, 5-7, 6-2.
Finally the Mustangs could call themselves winners of the competition when Boborykin defeated Campos in the fifth set with a score line of 6-2, 2-6 and 6-4.
The week got better for the Mustangs as they humiliated the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith with a shutout Saturday morning at the MSU Tennis Center.
Meeks and Urban got the doubles completion under way as they defeated Matheus Silva and Martin Tabler 8-4. The No.2 doubles featured Liston and Grejtak treating Seth Laster and Josh Helland to a phenomenal 8-1 victory. Joyce then teamed up with Boborykin to round up the doubles with a decent 8-5 victory over Evan Daniel and Pedro Carvalho.
“The win against AFS is instrumental in the mental approach to the LSC tournament I need,” said Joyce.
Joyce thrashed Silva 6-0 twice in the No.1 singles to complete a perfect week as well as pilot the Mustangs superb performance while Urban, the only senior on the team, watched Carvalho succumb in two sets that both ended 6-1.
The remainder of the matches ended in similar fashion with Meeks defeating Tabler 6-3, 6-0, Liston thrashing Laster 6-2, 6-3 and Grejtak beating Helland 6-1 and 6-1.Midwestern State will compete in the Lone Star Conference Championship Friday and Saturday.
“The Team is aiming to win the conference tournament,” said Joyce. “There would be no point in playing if we weren’t wanting to win the tournament.”
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Lady Mustangs qualify for Lone Star Conference Championships.
After enduring devastating losses agaist Cameron University and Tarleton State University, the Midwestern State Women’s Tennis team halted their losing streak with a slight win over the University of Arkansas-Forth Smith.
The Lady Mustangs failed to capitalize on their home advantage but instead watched the Aggies create and utilize a great momentum which led to the guests’ 8-1 victory. Taylor Coffman and Leah Robert earned Midwestern State’s only point as the defeated Florencia Tornero and Antonia Moberg 8-6 at No.3 doubles.
The singles competition yielded no positive result for MSU as the Aggies went home with a well earned victory Wednesday.
Following its home loss to Cameron, Midwestern State visited Tarleton where the TexAnns served the Lady Mustangs tragedy in terms of score line. The Thursday afternoon contest ended 6-1 with Robert and Coffman teaming up again to secure their team’s only point.
Robert and Coffman secured an 8-1 triumph over Silvia Nieva and Kayla Deatherage subsequent to the Lady Mustangs’ defeat in the No.1 and No.2 doubles. Karla Martinez played beside Melanie Barnes as they beat Rozike van Rensburg and Lindsey Holcomb 9-8 while Alicia Perez and Makenzie Mitchell also defeated Sarita Adhikary and Lindsey Buenger 9-8. Once again the singles competition went terribly for the Lady Mustangs who lost all four matches.
The Lady Mustangs needed to redeem themselves after two back-to-back losses and Senior Day was perfect day to do so. MSU hosted Arkansas-Forth Smith and tamed the Lions 5-4.
“The seniors did an excellent job,” said Tennis Coach Scott Linn. “My expectation is that they will embrace the conference tournament this weekend.”
Van Rensburg and Holcomb started the doubles competition with an 8-6 victory over Monica Pieratt and Abby Whittemore leaving the Robert-Coffman duo to round up with a 9-8 win over Masa Podunavac and Whitney Hobson. Van Rensburg faced Pieratt again at No.1 singles and the former thumped her opponent 7-5, 6-1, to extend the Lady Mustang’s lead. Holcomb defeated Podunavac 6-2, 6-0 at No.2 while Laura Haney beat Hobson at No.6 to conclude Midwestern State’s conquest.
Midwestern State will compete in the Lone Star Conference Championship this weekend.
