WACO, Texas – The 25th-ranked Trinity University men's tennis team rose to the occasion, clinching the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Championship with a thrilling 4-1 victory over the Southwestern University Pirates at the Waco Regional Tennis Center.
The Tigers won the SCAC title for the 29th time in the program's history, as well as the 15th consecutive conference championship. Head Coach
Russell McMindes has directed the storied Trinity tennis program for the last 15 seasons. This marked the 33rd consecutive appearance in the SCAC Championship Match for the Tigers and the 10th straight meeting in the final match between Trinity and Southwestern.
Doubles-action set the tone for the day as the Tigers found themselves in a fierce battle right from the opening serve. The fiery duo of
Jared Perry (Tucson, Arizona / Catalina Foothills) and
Conor Kaczmarczyk (Aurora, Colorado / Regis Jesuit) struck first, dismantling their opponents 6-2 at line #3. But Southwestern refused to go out quietly, responding with a 6-3 win over the 10th-nationally ranked duo of
Rocco Mendez (Las Vegas, Nevada / Odyssey Charter School) and
Kishan Kersten (Plano, Texas / Plano West) at #1 doubles. With the doubles point hanging by a thread, the pressure fell squarely on the senior duo shoulders of
Aashish Dhanani (Austin, Texas / Westwood) and
Eric Liao (Taipei, Taiwan / Boca Prep). In a tense tiebreaker, the duo delivered under pressure, etching out a clutch 7-6 (7-4) win to snatch the vital doubles point for the Tigers.
Fueled by the doubles triumph, Liao came out firing at #5 singles, demolishing his opponent 6-1, 6-0 to extend the lead. Once again, Southwestern then showed their grit, as they battled past
Roshin Kamath (League City, Texas / Clear Springs) 6-4, 6-2 at #6 singles to bring the match back within reach at 2-1.
Ryan Warren (Keller, Texas / Connection Academy) then swung the pendulum back Trinity's way, delivering a composed and ruthless 6-4, 6-1 victory at #3 singles to push the Tigers to the brink of the title.
Needing only a point to win, it was fitting that the clinching moment came from the ever-reliable Kersten at #4. After winning the first set 6-3 and dropping an unfortunate second set 6-2, Kersten slammed the door shut with a commanding 6-0 win in the third, securing the 4-1 triumph and crowning Trinity as the SCAC Tournament Champions.
At the time of clinching, the battles at the top two singles courts were both still in progress. Perry had split sets with Southwestern's Oscar Roy at #1 singles, winning the first 6-1 before narrowly dropping the second 6-4, while Mendez was locked in a tight contest at #2 singles, trailing after two hard-fought sets. Both matches were left unfinished as Trinity sealed the championship.
Up Next
With the SCAC trophy in hand, the Trinity University Men's Tennis Team now set their sights on the NCAA Division III Tournament. Their opponent will be decided on Monday, May 5th, at the NCAA DIII Men's Tennis Team Selection Show.
