Men's Tennis | 6/27/2016 1:32:00 PM
Men's Results | Women's Results
ITA Summer Circuit Central
ABILENE – Abilene Christian senior
Nico Agritelley won the Abilene ITA Summer Circuit singles championship for the second consecutive year, but his chance to capture the doubles title was cut off by Wildcats Joshua and Jonathan Sheehy as the brothers prevailed with an 8-2 finals victory Monday at the Eager Tennis Center.
Agritelley and ACU junior
Henry Adams were the tournament's No. 2 seeds and reached the championship match following a close 8-7 (5) triumph over Wildcat junior
Hunter Holman and Sewanee's Avery Schober. The top-seeeded Sheehys meanwhile doubled up their first two opponents by matching 8-4 scores and earned a 5-2 victory in the semifinals due to an injury withdrawal.
Agritelley started his singles run as the tournament's No. 5 seed in the bracket of 64, and played his closest set in his second-round match against Hardin-Simmons senior Emmauel Navejas, 7-5. From there Agritelley beat the Abilene Cooper graduate, 6-1, in the second set and then defeated a three-star recruit out of Westwood High School, 6-1, 6-3.
In the quarterfinals, Agritelley topped Westlake High School graduate Nicholas Glover, 6-1, 6-3, and in the semifinals he toppled Holman – the Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year –– 6-2, 6-2.
"I always tell myself I'm going to try to start the tournament hitting top spin on both shots and then that disappears five minutes into it," said Agritelley. "I tried top spin for the first match and it didn't work out so I went straight into the slice and didn't look back – went full bore on that. It's my game style. It's what works so I'm not going to stay away from that any longer. I'm just going to play to my strengths, and if I have to change it up then I will."
Agritelley's finals opponent was fourth-seeded Nathan Brown of Yale, who was a freshman with the Bulldogs last spring. Agritelley won the championship, 6-3, 6-4.
"It's neat to watch our own players in the finals and defend their turf," said head coach
Hutton Jones, whose program has played host to the Abilene stop on the ITA Summer Circuit the past four years. "Hosting this tournament is a special experience because we're bringing in over 100 players – current and incoming college players, junior players – and getting to showcase our facilities. Plus watching a high-level of competition is great for the fans."
Six Wildcats competed in the men's brackets and in the bottom of the singles' draw there were three matches that pitted ACU players against each other. Adams – a Southland honorable mention – reached the quarterfinals after coming back from a set down to beat No. 2 seed Jonathan Sheehy, 1-6, 6-4, 10-7. Holman then beat Adams in the quarterfinals, 6-2, 5-7, 10-7, and Agritelley, who has the most experience playing on the ACU outdoor courts, beat Holman this morning in straight sets.
"Seeing everyone competing and playing their hardest is great," said Agritelley, who was a Southland First Team honoree this spring at the No. 3 position. "Jon and Henry battling to three sets shows where Jon is in his level of play and how much Henry has improved over the years. There is incredible depth on this year's team and I'm really looking forward to the season."
Junior
Paul Domanski had a solid run for the Wildcats as well, reaching the Round of 16 where he fell in three sets to the sixth-seeded Schober, 6-4, 4-6, 11-9.
Returning Southland Conference Freshman of the Year
Josh Sheehy was forced to withdraw from the singles bracket as the start of play conflicted with his doubles championship match in Arlington for the U.S. Open Qualifier. He and partner Parker Wynn lost a tough match, 6-2, 5-7, 11-8 to the SMU duo of Yates and Hunter Johnson.
On the women's side, Rice commitment and Priya Niezgoda won the singles and doubles titles. She is the 30th-ranked player nationally and a five-star recruit for the Owls.
Niezgoda won the singles championship over Virginia commitment Hunter Bleser, 6-3, 6-1, and in doubles she and Auburn freshman Caroline Turner beat the team of Ellie Zogg and Madison Tedford, 8-5.
Tedford is a TCU commitment. Zogg recently finished her freshman season at South Carolina.
Incoming Wildcats Sarah Eleanor Adams and Autumn Crossnoe lost to Zogg and Tedford in the first round of doubles, 8-2, while ACU seniors
Erin Walker and
Ansley Boarman were ousted in the semifinals by Turner and Niezgoda, 8-2.
Walker additionally lost to Niezgoda in the singles semifinals, 7-6 (6), 6-1, after beating Adams in the quarters, 6-4, 6-1. Crossnoe advanced to the Round of 16 where she was beaten by Trinity sophomore Blaire Porter, 7-5, 2-6, 10-8.
Wichita Falls graduate Denny Norrie won the men's consolation singles draw while that honor on the women's side went to St. Edward's Laura Galvan.
The ITA Summer Circuit continues into Week 2 June 24 to 28 with tournaments hosted around the country by Cal State Northridge, Elon, Georgia, Gustavus Adolphus, Kansas State, Pacific, UT-Tyler and Western Michigan.
Agritelley said he won't be competing this weekend at Tyler, but plans to be part of the fields at UT-Dallas (
July 9-12) and College Station (July 30 - Aug. 1).
