2023-24 Shocker Men's Tennis

[1972Shocker]

Shockers Edge Mavericks in Home Opener, 4-3

The Wichita State men's tennis team triumphed in their home opener over the Omaha Mavericks, 4-3 on Friday afternoon in Wichita.

Head Coach Darragh Glavin was very happy to notch a win today.

"It was a good, gritty team win today," said Glavin. "We didn't play our best, but we battled and came away with the win."

[WuDrWu]

If you get the chance, chat up Darragh. He's fantastic, and a joy to listen to, not just because of the accent.

[1972Shocker]

Shockers Blanked by Oklahoma

https://goshockers.com/news/2024/2/2/mens-tennis-shockers-blanked-by-oklahoma.aspx

Oklahoma has no trouble dispatching the Shocks in Norman. The Shocker men fall to 2-4 on the season and OU improves to 6-1.

[1972Shocker]

New Mexico Slips Past Wichita State

The Wichita State men's tennis team fell in a close match at home to the New Mexico Lobos, 3-4, at Genesis Health Clubs on Friday afternoon. The Shocks fall to 2-5 on the season and New Mexico improves to 6-2.

"I thought we had some chances across the board today that we didn't capitalize on," head coach Darragh Glavin said. "Doubles could've gone either way today and we had some close sets in singles we could've pulled out but didn't."

All thee doubles matches were tied at 6-6 after 12 games. New Mexico won the tiebreaker in the #2 doubles 7-5 and in the #3 doubles 7-3 to take the doubles point.

The singles matches were pretty competitive with the two team splitting those 6 matches.

"We've gotten better as a team for sure," said Glavin. "We're going to keep working and get back to it for Sunday against UTSA" (at11:00 AM at Genesis Rock Road).

[1972Shocker]

Roadrunners Escape Wichita State

The Wichita State men's tennis team fell in another competitive match at home, falling to the Roadrunners of UTSA on Sunday afternoon at Genesis Rock Road, 4-2.

The Shockers (2-6) have now lost three consecutive matches while UTSA (4-5) breaks their three-match losing streak with the win.

[1972Shocker]

Shockers Downed by Drake

Wichita State men's tennis team suffered a loss on the road on Friday afternoon against the Drake Bulldogs, 5-2

The Shockers (2-7) see their losing streak move to four matches.

The Shocks only wins came at #5 singles in a very tight 3 setter ad in #6 singles with a super-tiebreaker in lieu of a full 3rd set.

Live Stats: https://ioncourt.com/ties/65a9659c4a7195036b08044a

Things are not going well for the Shocker me this year when it comes to playing with fuzzy balls.

[1972Shocker]

Shockers Crushed on the Road by No. 23 Oklahoma State

Wichita State men's tennis team was swept 7-0 on Sunday afternoon by the 23rd ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys at Greenwood Tennis Center.

The Shockers (2-8) see their losing streak increase to five games, while No. 23 Oklahoma State (11-2) has now won seven in a row.

#23 Oklahoma State 7, Wichita State 0
Singles competition
1. No. 15 Tyler Zink (OSU) def. Alejandro Jacome (WSU) 6-3, 6-3
2. No. 49 Alex Garcia (OSU) def. Misha Kvantaliani (WSU) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(6)
3. Issac Becroft (OSU) def. Vanja Hodzic (WSU) 7-6(1), 6-4,
4. Erik Schiessl (OSU) def. Marcelo Sepulveda (WSU) 6-2, 6-3
5. Francisco Pini (OSU) def. Luke Bracks (WSU) 6-1, 6-1
6. Goran Zgola (OSU) def. Ziwen Ju (WSU) 6-3, 6-3

Doubles competition
1. Tyler Zink/Alex Garcia (OSU) def. Richey King/Misha Kvantaliani (WSU) 6-4
2. Isaac Becroft/Carl Roothman (OSU) def. Vanja Hodzic/Alejandro Jacome (WSU) 6-2
3. Goran Zgola/Erik Schiessl (OSU) v. Ziwen Ju/Marcelo Sepulveda (WSU) 4-4

Actually it looks to me like the doubles were somewhat competitive as were the number 1, 2 and 3 singles. OSU did cruise to pretty easy wins in the number 4, 5 and 6 singles. Not sure I would described it as crushed. Clearly though, Oklahoma State was in control of the match as was expected to be the case.

[1972Shocker]

Shockers Defeat Montana, Break Five-Match Losing Streak

The Wichita State men's tennis team collected their first win since January 26 with a 4-0 victory over the Montana Grizzlies on Saturday afternoon at the University of Denver's Denver Tennis Park.

The Shockers (3-8) snap a five-match losing streak and collect their first road win since defeating Grand Canyon in their season opener on January 11

The Shockers play again tomorrow against host and No. 38 ranked Denver at 11:30 AM CT. This one will no doubt be much more challenging.

[1972Shocker]

Shockers Trounced by 38th Ranked Pioneers

The Wichita State men's tennis team was defeated by the 38th ranked Denver Pioneers on Sunday afternoon at Denver Tennis Park, 4-0.

The Shockers (3-9) see their three-match win streak over Denver in the all-time series end and Denver (12-0) is now 5-11 overall in the all-time series against Wichita State.

For the second straight match, the Shockers competed very well in doubles. At court three, the combo of Alejandro Jacome and Marcelo Sepulveda dominated, winning 6-2, before the pairing of Luke Bracks and Richey King fell 6-1 at court two putting the doubles point in the hands of Misha Kvantaliani and Vanja Hodzic at court one.

It was a long battle, but the Shocker duo would fall just short, losing 6-4 giving the doubles poingt to the Pioneers.

In singles, King was defeated swiftly at court six, losing 6-1, 6-0.

Hodzic fell next at court three, going down in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2.

Kvantaliani would be defeated in a close match at court two, 6-4, 7-6 (5), clinching and ending the match in favor of Denver, 4-0.

In the 3 unfinished single matches the Shocks traile at the #1 singles 3-6, 4-5 and at the #4 singless 4-6, 5-5, and at the #5 singles 5-7, 0-4.

Again I am not wild about the goshockers.com headline writing abilities. Granted Denver won the #3 singles easily and wone the #3 singles relativley easily but the doubles play and the other 4 singles matches were pretty competitive. So I don't feel like the guys were trounced overall.

Definitely don't rely on the goshocker.com headlines for what may have really happened in game or match.

[1972Shocker]

Shockers Fall at Home to #34 UCF, 4-1

The Wichita State men's tennis team lost at home to the 34th ranked UCF Knights on Friday afternoon at Genesis Rock Road.

The Shockers (3-10) have now dropped back-to-back contests and UCF (12-1) has won five matches in a row.

The Shockers have played a pretty tough schedule this year and it doesn't look like it will let up much, if any, going forward.

[1972Shocker]

The struggles continue for the Shocker men's tennis team.

UNC-Wilmington had little trouble with the Shocks at least in the doubles and the 3 singles matches that were completed in a 4-0 win on Tuesday. The 3 unfinished singles matches were a little more competitive.

https://goshockers.com/news/2024/3/12/mens-tennis-shockers-wiped-by-unc-wilmington.aspx

Today the Shockers took on the Lobos of New Mexico in Wilmington. The Shocks lost to New Mexico 3-4 about a month ago in Wichita. for the 2nd This time around New Mexico finished off the Shocks 4-0

https://goshockers.com/news/2024/3/13/mens-tennis-shockers-blanked-by-new-mexico-in-rematch.aspx

The Shocks are now 3-12 on the season

The Shocks take on #71 William & Mary in Wilmington tomorrow. I see no more that maybe 1 of 2 wins in the remaining 7 dual meets between now and the AAC Championships.

[1972Shocker]

The Shocks fall to 3-13 on the season with a 1-4 loss to #71 William and Mary in Wilmington, NC.

The double point was pretty competitive with the Shocks falling 6-7 (5-7) and 5-7 in the #1 and #2 doubles. The Shocks won the #3 doubles 6-3.

The Shocks' Marcelo Sepulveda picked up a 6-2, 6-2 at #3 singles by wins by William & Mary in the #2 singles (6-4, 7-5), the #4 singles (6-3, 6-4) and the #6 singles (7-5, 6-1) closed out the match for the Tribe. The #1 and #5 singles were each ended unfinished early in the 3rd sets when the Tribe clinched the win.

https://goshockers.com/sports/mens-t...boxscore/17833

[1972Shocker]

Shockers Upset Bid Comes Up Short Against No. 66 Charlotte

Wichita State men's tennis team dropped an incredibly close match to the 66th ranked Charlotte 49ers on Saturday afternoon, 4-3.

With the loss the Shockers fall to 3-14 but had one of their best, if not the best, performance of the season.

Charlotte won the doubles point without two much resistance 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 in the #1, #2 and #3 doubles, respectively.

The Shocks were able to push the 49ers for a full set of singles matches as follows in order of finish:

#5 Singles: Luke Bracks lost very quickly 0-6, 2-6 (Charlotte Leads 2-0)
#2 Singles: Misha Kvantaliani pulled out a 6-4, 7-6 (7-3 TB) win (Charlotte Leads 2-1)
#4 Singles: Vanja Hodzic takes a 7-6 (7-5 TB), 6-2 (Tied at 2-2)
#6 Singles: Zwien Ju falls 6-7 (7-2 TB), 1-6 (Charlotte leads 3-2)
#3 Singles: Marcelo Sepulveda gives the Shocks a chance winninng 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 (Tied at 3 all)

In the deciding match, fittingly at the #1 singles, Alejandro drop his first set in a very close 6-7 (5-7 TB) before bouncing back for 6-3 win and setting up a winner take-all third set. The set started close, but Charlotte's Spencer Gray would jump out to a 5-3 lead in the third set. Jacome wasn't done, battling back to tie the match 5-5, but Gray would win the next two games to take a 7-5 game, set , match win to clinch the match for the 49ers, 4-3.

Really tough loss for the guys, but a really good effort in what has been a tough season so far.

[1972Shocker]

One of the things that has hurt the Shocks this semester is that Kristof Minarik has only played on two matches at the beginning of the Spring season, Texas Tech and Omaha. He played in the doubles and in the #3 singles in both of those matches . He went 2-0 in his signles matches. Both of his doubles matches went unfinished but he and his partner were up 5-4 and 4-3 when those matches were halted.

Kistof is a junior this year and had played pretty well in the fall as well. Kristof was one of our better guys the last 2 years so I don't thing its a matter of getting beat out of playing time by teammates playing better. So I assume he has been down the past 2 months with an injury of some sort.

[1972Shocker]

The Shocker men dropped 2 more matches his weekend to fall to 3-16 on the season.

Shockers Drop Match to Red-Hot Rice

On Friday Wichita State men's tennis team started the 65th annual Ralph O'Connor Rice Invitational with a loss to the 58th ranked and host Rice Owls 4-0at Rice's George R. Brown Tennis Center.

The Shocks lost 6-3 and 6-2 at the #1 and #3 doubles. #2 doubles was at 4-4 when that pairing was abandoned.

Rice quickly to a point at the #6 singles when the Shockers Ziwen Ju had to retire early in the first set with an injury. Rice claimed the remaining 2 points in short order winning the #1 singles 6-1, 6-0 and the #5 singles 6-0, 6-0. The other 3 singles were more competitive when all were abandoned in the second set once Rice clinched the dual win.

Shockers Fall in Tight Match to UAB

On Saturday Wichita State men's tennis team ended competition in the 65th Annual Ralph 'Connor Rice Invitational with a very close loss to the UAB Blazers.

Doubles was incredibly close with two courts being decided in a tiebreak. UAB would grab the early edge in doubles with a 6-3 win at court three over Luke Bracks and Alejandro Jacome. The Shocker pair of Misha Kvantaliani and Richey King responded, putting together 7-6 (1) win at court one to bring all eyes to court two.

Down 4-2 at court two, the Shocker duo of Marcelo Sepulveda and Vanja Hodzic would battle back to take a 5-4 match lead, but the Blazers won the next game to make it 5-5. The Shockers grabbed game 11 to make it 6-5 and had match point in game 12, but a return from Sepulveda on deuce point landed inches from being in, forcing the match into a tiebreak. In the tiebreak, UAB took a big 5-2 lead early, but the Shockers battled back to tie the break at 5-5 and again at 6-6, before ultimately being defeated 8-6, giving the Blazers the doubles point.

In singles, Jacome would strike first, cracking open the singles scoring with a 6-3, 6-1 win at court two and leveling the match score at 1-1.

The Blazers would respond with wins at four over Hodzic and at six over King to move one point away from victory.

The Shockers weren't going anywhere, as Sepulveda would pick up a 7-5, 6-2 win at court three and Kvantaliani picked up his second win of the day with a tight, 6-4, 7-5 win at court one to even the match at 3-3.

This left Bracks at court five to decide the match. Bracks lost his first set 6-2, before turning the tables and winning set two 6-2 to force a decisive third set. The first six games of the set were split evenly 3-3 before his Blazer opponent snatched back-to-back games to go up 5-3 in the set. The deficit was too much to overcome for Bracks, as he would fall in the third set 6-3, ending the match 4-3 in favor of UAB.

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Perhaps the UAB match is one that would have gone the Shocks way i Kristoff Minarik was available.