Tennis teams fall in NCAA regional play

TULSA/AUSTIN (May 4) - Cameron University’s men’s and women’s tennis teams made early exits from the NCAA postseason Thursday, each losing in the opening round of their respective Division II regional tournaments. Coach James Helvey’s Aggie men dropped a 5-3 decision to 25th-ranked Central Oklahoma at the men’s Central Region hosted by St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, while the Lady Aggies lost in Tulsa to 19th-ranked Northeastern State, 5-1.

Cameron’s men jumped out to a 2-1 lead through doubles play, including an 8-0 shutout victory in the No. 1 doubles match by Jordi Mullor and Rafael Zurita over UCO’s Jonas Askeland and Tomas Hladil. Tin Hinst and Darren Cobble combined to win at No. 2 doubles, as well, posting an 8-3 win over Peter Davis and Javier Easton. Cameron’s only other team point in the match came at No. 3 singles, where Zurita defeated UCO’s Mark Johnson, 6-2, 6-3.

In the women’s match, which was moved from Tahlequah to the indoor courts at the University of Tulsa due to heavy rainfall in the area Wednesday night, Cameron’s only team point came in the No. 3 doubles match. Carolina Vera-Vera paired up with Ayumi Hirai to post an 8-5 win over NSU’s Gabriella del Campo and Nina Wenner before three straight-set singles victories by the Lady Reds ended the match.

The losses ended the spring season for both Cameron teams. The Aggie men climbed as high as No. 16 in the nation this year in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Top 40 and finished the season ranked No. 23.

MEN
Central Oklahoma 5
Cameron 3

DOUBLES
#1 Jordi Mullor/Rafael Zurita (Cameron) def. Jonas Askeland/Tomas Hladil (USO); 8-0
#2 Tin Hinst/Darren Cobble (Cameron) def. Peter Davis/Javier Easton (UCO); 8-3
#3 Christian Haugen/Mark Johnson (UCO) def. Nicolas Mascheroni/David Detudamo (Cameron); 8-6

SINGLES
#1 Tomas Hladil (UCO) def. Tin Hinst (Cameron); 6-4, 6-2
#2 Jordi Mullor (Cameron) vs. Jonas Askeland (UCO); unfinished
#3 Rafael Zurita (Cameron) def. Mark Johnson (UCO); 6-2, 6-3
#4 Javier Easton (UCO) def. Nocolas Mascheroni (Cameron); 6-3, 6-4
#5 Justin DeBruin (UCO) def. David Detudamo (Cameron); 6-4, 7-6 (1)
#6 Christian Haugen (UCO) def. Daniel Graziani (Cameron); 6-1, 6-4

WOMEN
Northeastern State 5
Cameron 1

DOUBLES
#1 Simona Stoica/Amanda Stone (NSU) def. Thatianne Moreira/Kim Romero (CU), 8-5
#2 Holly McKee/Maryna Tkachenko (NSU) def. Sandra-Leigh King/Viviana Seca (CU), 8-2
#3 Ayumi Hirai/Carolina Vera-Vera (CU) def. Gabriella del Campo/Nina Wenner (NSU), 8-5

SINGLES
#1 Holly McKee (NSU) vs. Thatianne Moreira (CU), unfinished
#2 Simona Stoica (NSU) vs. Kim Romero (CU), unfinished
#3 Maryna Tkachenko (NSU) def. Sandra-Leigh King (CU), 6-0, 6-1
#4 Amanda Stone (NSU) def. Viviana Seca (CU), 6-2, 6-1
#5 Nina Wenner (NSU) def. Carolina Vera-Vera (CU), 6-1, 6-2
#6 Gabriella del Campo (NSU) vs. Ayumi Hirai (CU), unfinished