2019-20 ACU Tennis: Year In Review
4/13/2020 3:19:00 PM | Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis
ABILENE – If not for COVID-19 pandemic, Abilene Christian tennis would have wrapped its regular season Saturday and started final preparations for Alumni Weekend, which was to be held in conjunction with the men's regular-season finale vs. Southwest.
Now the Wildcats will have to host their reunion online along with many other everyday activities from meetings and birthday parties to church services and concerts.
As we discussed last month with senior Sara Adams, women's tennis was the first ACU program this spring to lose dates to the Coronavirus as the Wildcats opted to cancel a Spring Break trip through Southern California for health reasons. Of course, they had no way of knowing the rest of their season would soon disappear only a few days later.
When the NCAA canceled its spring sports seasons, women's tennis was gearing up for a match at Baylor while the men we're already in Kansas City to begin a four-match trip. The women at least got to play four Southland matches (3-1), but the men didn't have their first contest scheduled until March 20 at Nicholls.
Because each team was coming into this spring as defending conference champions, it can't be helped to be occasionally consumed with all the 'what ifs?' There was a definite possibility of each team making it to the NCAAs, and the Southland awards which would have accompanied them, could have filled a trophy case or two.
At the very least, however, each team did get to enjoy a half season of spring tennis and a successful fall semester. And here we'll list some of our favorite moments of this abbreviated 2019-20 campaign.
Fine and Sheehy started with an 8-3 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, outlasted SMU in the Round of 32, and defeated the fifth-seeded Texas A&M tandem of Barnaby Smith and Piercer Rollins, 8-7 (0), in the quarterfinals. Parker Wynn, who was Sheehy's doubles partner last summer, would team with Bjorn Thomson to beat Fine / Sheehy, 8-4, in the semifinals.
Rogers and Smith would finish the spring ranked No. 2 nationally with a 27-4 overall record, and went to tiebreaks vs. ACU, Kentucky, Cal and Wake Forest.
• 81 spring
• 72 fall
76 doubles wins
• 41 spring
• 35 fall
15 team wins
3 Southland Conference Players of the Week
Jonathan Sheehy - (2x) Jan. 21 and March 10
Sarah Adams – Jan. 21
Now the Wildcats will have to host their reunion online along with many other everyday activities from meetings and birthday parties to church services and concerts.
As we discussed last month with senior Sara Adams, women's tennis was the first ACU program this spring to lose dates to the Coronavirus as the Wildcats opted to cancel a Spring Break trip through Southern California for health reasons. Of course, they had no way of knowing the rest of their season would soon disappear only a few days later.
When the NCAA canceled its spring sports seasons, women's tennis was gearing up for a match at Baylor while the men we're already in Kansas City to begin a four-match trip. The women at least got to play four Southland matches (3-1), but the men didn't have their first contest scheduled until March 20 at Nicholls.
Because each team was coming into this spring as defending conference champions, it can't be helped to be occasionally consumed with all the 'what ifs?' There was a definite possibility of each team making it to the NCAAs, and the Southland awards which would have accompanied them, could have filled a trophy case or two.
At the very least, however, each team did get to enjoy a half season of spring tennis and a successful fall semester. And here we'll list some of our favorite moments of this abbreviated 2019-20 campaign.
Men's Tennis Top-Three Moments
Sheehy defeats Ohio State's Kyle Seelig, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (3), at the ITA All-America Championships
This is the victory that propelled Jonathan Sheehy to a program-best No. 77 ranking in mid-November. Sheehy would remain in the ITA singles' rankings for the entire spring season.Fine and Sheehy reach ITA Texas Regional Semifinals
Senior Jackson Fine began to make a name for himself in doubles a year earlier alongside Cole Lawson, but this past fall he and Sheehy elevated their play as evident by a semifinal appearance at ITA Texas Regionals.Fine and Sheehy started with an 8-3 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, outlasted SMU in the Round of 32, and defeated the fifth-seeded Texas A&M tandem of Barnaby Smith and Piercer Rollins, 8-7 (0), in the quarterfinals. Parker Wynn, who was Sheehy's doubles partner last summer, would team with Bjorn Thomson to beat Fine / Sheehy, 8-4, in the semifinals.
Three Points at Texas Tech
ACU lost a 4-3 nailbiter in Lubbock, but the Wildcats three points came at the top-two singles positions and in doubles. Sheehy and Fine doubled up the Red Raiders' No. 1 tandem of Ilgiz Valiev and Jackson Cobb, 6-3, while sophomore Dimitrios Azoidis upset #114 Reed Collier, 6-2, 6-3. Sheehy again would beat No. 69 Valiev in singles, 6-1, 6-4.
Women's Tennis Top-Three Moments
Season-ending win at Stephen F. Austin
ACU personified grit and determination in what would be its final match of the regular-season, a 4-3 triumph at SFA on March 8. Four of the six singles matches were decided in a third set with the last two points scored by freshman Claire Fisher (def. Ai Noa Fabre, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4) and junior Ileana Mocciola (def. Elena Belcher, 6-4, 6-7, 6-4).Freshman Fisher clinches ACU's victory at Oral Roberts
A month prior to the SFA victory, Fisher was the hero of the day in ACU's 4-3 win at Oral Roberts as the freshman snapped a 3-3 tie with a come-from-behind 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 victory at the No. 6 line over Flavia Gutierrez. Fisher and junior Nini Memishishi would finish the spring tied for the team lead in singles victories with eight.Adams and Memishishi push nation's top doubles team to a tiebreak
ACU scheduled an unlikely neutral-site match vs. fifth-ranked N.C. State in Lubbock, and nearly came away with the doubles point as senior Sarah Adams and junior Nini Memishishi were edged, 7-6 (3), by the ITA's top-ranked duo of Anna Rogers and Alana Smith.Rogers and Smith would finish the spring ranked No. 2 nationally with a 27-4 overall record, and went to tiebreaks vs. ACU, Kentucky, Cal and Wake Forest.
2019-20 ACU Tennis: By The Numbers
153 singles wins• 81 spring
• 72 fall
76 doubles wins
• 41 spring
• 35 fall
15 team wins
3 Southland Conference Players of the Week
Jonathan Sheehy - (2x) Jan. 21 and March 10
Sarah Adams – Jan. 21
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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