The women's team triumphed 8-1 while the men's team fell 7-2 as both teams finish the season 11-7. SSAC Championship matches will start Thursday at 10 a.m.
NEW ORLEANS - The Loyola University New Orleans men's and women's tennis teams took on Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho) in a men's and women's doubleheader held at the University of New Orleans on Friday afternoon.
The Wolf Pack women's team (11-7) played a great match to close out their season, defeating the Warriors 8-1.
"They girls are getting stronger and stronger," said head coach Kyle Russell. When one is down the other girls pick them up. We're starting to compete across the board. Very proud of their evolution this year. All the girls played great but I felt like Gabrielle Terranova (FR/Metairie, La.) and Miranda Cano (SO/Weston, Fla.) really stepped it up today."
The Pack opened up women's doubles with a clean sweep to earn three points. The No. 1 duo of Arianna Pepper (SO/Arequipa, Peru) and Koral Martinez (JR/Lajas, Puerto Rico) kicked off doubles with an 8-3 victory, improving their record as a team to a stellar 7-1. Also notching their seventh win as a tandem were Margaret Adams (JR/Fairhope, Ala.) and Nadja Ochsner (SO/Stein, Switzerland), who won 8-5 on court three to improve to 7-3 on the season. Similarly with an impressive doubles record, Manuela Alban (FR/Quito, Ecuador ) and Miranda Cano tallied an 8-5 win on court two as they improved to 6-2 as a doubles team this season.
Martinez picked up the first singles point for the Pack, earning a solid 6-2, 6-2 win at the No. 2 spot. Nadja Ochsner then clinched the match for Loyola with her 6-1, 6-2 win on court four. Of course, the Pack were not done there, as Manuela Alban won 6-4, 6-4 on court three, keeping her record at the No. 3 spot undefeated as she improved to 2-0 there. At the No. 1 spot in singles, Arianna Pepper also remained undefeated, improving to 2-0 on court one with her 6-3, 5-7, (10-7) victory at the first court. Terranova then finished the match out strong for the Wolf Pack, coming back to win a three-setter on court five, 4-6, 6-4, (10-8).
Loyola's men's team (11-7), playing short-handed due to injuries, fell to Lewis and Clark 7-2.
"We finally got hit by the injuries this week," said Russell. "Losing key players is tough but I've gotta hand it to the guys, they played their hearts out. Couple guys were not in match shape and ended up cramping in matches they were definitely going to win. All in all we showed great spirit today and gave ourselves a chance."
Galileo Cabrales (SO/San Salvador, El Salvador) was the bright spot for the Pack, as he and Ernesto Telles (SO/El Salvador, San Salvador) teamed up for an 8-1 court three win. Then in Cabrales's singles match at the No. 1 spot, he lost the first set, but came back to win the three-set match 4-6, 6-4, (11-9) in the last finish of the day.
With the regular season now completed, both Wolf Pack tennis squads will head to the Southern States Athletic Conference Championships next week. The No. 4 seed in the tournament, the men's team takes on No. 5 Martin Methodist in a 10 a.m. match on Thursday, April 19. Also at 10 a.m. on Thursday is the match for Loyola's No. 5-seeded women's team, where they will take on the No. 4 seed Mobile in a rematch of last Friday's close matchup.
You can keep up with the Pack this season by following Wolf Pack Athletics on Facebook at Facebook.com/LoyolaWolfPack, Twitter and Instagram @LoyolaWolfPack, and by checking out our website at LoyolaWolfPack.com.
Men's Tennis
Loyola - 2
Lewis & Clark - 7
Doubles
1. Ignacio Salom/Guilherme Medeiros (LC) def. Sean Presti (JR/Lesigny, France)/Joseph Short (FR/Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) (LOYNO) 8-5
2. Menezes/Tony Chin (LC) def. Jacob Abdella (FR/Broussard, La.)/Ernesto de Diego (SR/Panama City, Panama) (LOYNO) 8-3
3. Galileo Cabrales/Ernesto Telles (LOYNO) def. William Bruchard/Vannasak Chheang (LC) 8-1
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1
Singles
1. Galileo Cabrales (LOYNO) def. Ignacio Salom (LC) 4-6, 6-4 (11-9)
2. William Bruchard (LC) def. Sean Presti (LOYNO) 6-4, 7-5
3. Luca Menezes (LC) def. Ernesto de Diego (LOYNO) 6-0, 6-2
4. Alexandre D'Aboville (LC) def. Joseph Short (LOYNO) 6-1, 4-6, 6-2
5. Tony Chin (LC) def. Ernesto Telles (LOYNO) 6-2, 5-6 (ret.)
6. Vannasak Chheang (LC) def. George Fourmaux (JR/Hammond, La.) (LOYNO) 6-1, 0-6, 1-2 (ret.)
Order of finish: 3, 2, 4, 5, 6, 1
Women's Tennis
No. 23 Loyola - 8
Lewis & Clark - 1
Doubles
1. Arianna Pepper/Koral Martinez (LOYNO) def. Begona Andres/Hannah Uhlenkott (LC) 8-3
2. Manuela Alban/Miranda Cano (LOYNO) def. Stephanie Buckingham/Jen Roux (LC) 8-5
3. Margaret Adams/Nadja Ochsner (LOYNO) def. Laura Diaz/Sophie Uhlenkott (LC) 8-3
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2
Singles
1. Arianna Pepper (LOYNO) def. Hannah Uhlenkott (LC) 6-3, 5-7 (10-7)
2. Koral Martinez (LOYNO) def. Begona Andres (LC) 6-2, 6-2
3. Manuela Alban (LOYNO) def. Stephanie Buckingham (LC) 6-4, 6-4
4. Nadja Ochsner (LOYNO) def. Laura Rosselli (LC) 6-1, 6-2
5. Gabrielle Terranova (LOYNO) def. Laura Diaz (LC) 4-6, 6-4 (10-8)
6. Sophie Uhlenkott (LC) def. Miranda Cano (LOYNO) 7-5, 7-6(5)
Order of finish: 2, 4, 3, 6, 1, 5
