Loyola puts the exclamation point on an already impressive week, picking up two ranked wins to close out their Sunshine State marathon
ORLANDO, Fla. - Playing their fifth match in five days, the Loyola University New Orleans men's and women's tennis teams both completed their spring break road trip undefeated after each team topped ranked St. Thomas University teams on Friday afternoon.
"The Wolf Pack emptied the tank today and had their best performance of the year," said head coach Kyle Russell. "That surprised me in a good way. No one is crazy enough to play five matches in five days and I think they found some reserves that not even they knew they had."
After a week filled with close results, the Wolf Pack men's team (11-4) finishes the week strong with an 8-1 win over the Bobcats (6-6), who came into today's match ranked 24th in the NAIA.
"The guys had a look in their eyes that said there was no way they were going to lose this match," said Russell.
The tandem of Joseph Short and Galileo Cabrales ended the week at an impressive 4-1 after opening today's doubles matches with an 8-2 victory on court three. Ernesto de Diego and Alexander DePascual then put the Pack up 2-0 with their 8-3 doubles win on court one. Sean Presti and Tiger Cheung completed the doubles sweep for Loyola, winning 8-6 at the No. 2 spot.
Presti would fall at No. 1 singles, but the Wolf Pack would pick up wins on the other five singles courts, without dropping a set. De Diego got the first singles point of the day for the Pack, putting them up 4-0 with a 6-1, 6-3 win on court four. Cabrales was then able to clinch the match on court two after his 6-1, 6-4 win. Cheung, DePascual, and Ernesto Telles also picked up singles wins to lead Loyola to the 8-1 result.
"Everybody was on point from the very start of the match," said Russell. "Tiger was elite every time he stepped on the court. Galileo clinched the match and capped off a great week. Really though, everybody stepped up when we needed them to, a total team effort."
The Bobcats women's team (6-8) was also ranked in the most recent NAIA coaches' top 25 poll (23rd), but the Pack (10-6) were once again able to take care of business, earning a 7-2 result.
"The girls played their first complete match of the year," said Russell. "Every position came to play and I've been waiting for that to happen. Margaret and Nadja were pivotal in winning the second doubles point, that was huge. Miranda clinched the match, for her first match-clinching point."
The duo of Arianna Pepper and Koral Martinez earned the first point of the day for the women's team with their 8-4 victory at the No. 1 spot, finishing 4-0 on the road trip this week as a pair. Nadja Ochsner and Margaret Adams picked up the second point for the Pack with their 8-5 victory on court three as the Pack headed into singles play up 2-1.
Manuela Alban started off the singles matches well for Loyola with her 6-1, 6-4 victory at the No. 1 spot. Martinez was next to finish, putting the Pack up 4-1 with her 6-1, 6-2 victory on court three. Then, in a hard-fought match on court six, Miranda Cano clinched the match and the undefeated week for Loyola with an absolute battle, winning 6-3, 4-6, 10-8.
"Koral, Manuela and Arianna were each flat out dominant all week," said Russell. "Gabby also found her groove and has become dependable as a freshman."
Both Wolf Pack tennis squads will take a week off before jumping back into conference play, hosting the ranked men's and women's teams from Mobile on April 6th at City Park.
Men's Tennis
Loyola - 8
No. 24 Saint Thomas - 1
Doubles
1. Ernesto de Diego/Alexander DePascual (LOYNO) def. Kevin Cubela/Mauricio Fernandez (STU) 8-3
2. Sean Presti/Tiger Cheung (LOYNO) def. Francisco Velasquez/Fabrice Bissainthe (STU) 8-6
3. Joseph Short/Galileo Cabrales (LOYNO) def. Maximilian Befort/KiwaneNorman(STU) 8-2
Order of finish: 3, 1, 2
Singles
1. Kevin Cubela (STU) def. Sean Presti (LOYNO) 6-1, 6-1
2. Galileo Cabrales (LOYNO) def. Francisco Velasquez (STU) 6-1, 6-4
3. Tiger Cheung (LOYNO) def. Fabrice Bissainthe (STU) 6-3, 6-3
4. Ernesto de Diego (LOYNO) def. Mauricio Fernandez (STU) 6-1, 6-3
5. Alexander DePascual (LOYNO) def. Maximilian Befort (STU) 6-4, 6-4
6. Ernesto Telles (LOYNO) def. Kiwane Norman (STU) 6-2, 6-4
Order of finish: 1, 4, 2, 3, 4, 6
Women's Tennis
Loyola - 7
No. 23 Saint Thomas - 2
Doubles
1. Arianna Pepper/Koral Martinez (LOYNO) def. Cassandra Lemieux/Andrea Gonazlaez (STU) 8-4
2. Victoria Slavina/Mariah Bastos (STU) def. Manuela Alban/Miranda Cano (LOYNO) 8-5
3. Nadja Ochsner/Margaret Adams (LOYNO) def. Cynthia Diaz/Naomi Maehama (STU) 8-5
Order of finish: 2, 1, 3
Singles
1. Manuela Alban (LOYNO) def. Victoria Slavina (STU) 6-1, 6-4
2. Arianna Pepper (LOYNO) def. Cassandra Lemiuex (STU) 6-4, 7-6(4)
3. Koral Martinez (LOYNO) def. Cynthia Diaz (STU) 6-1, 6-2
4. Andrea Gonzalez (STU) def. Nadja Ochsner (LOYNO) 1-6, 6-1, 10-8
5. Gabrielle Terranova (LOYNO) def. Natdeilys de Armas Acosta (STU) 6-4, 2-6, 10-1
6. Miranda Cano (LOYNO) def. Katalina Pineda (STU) 6-3, 4-6, 10-8
Order of finish: 1, 3, 6, 4, 5, 1
