For Immediate Release: Wednesday, April 09, 2003

Contact: Adam Pitterman, UTPA Assistant Sports Information Director, (956) 381-2240

RICE SWEEPS BRONCS, 6-0

HOUSTON, TX— The University of Texas-Pan American men’s tennis team received its first national ranking in several years, and then fell to another ranked team Wednesday afternoon.

The Broncs, who were ranked in a tie for 72nd place in the latest NCAA Division I/Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll, fell to 30th-ranked Rice, 6-0, at the Jake Hess Tennis Center. 

With the loss, UTPA dropped to 11-7, while the Owls improved to 16-5. The teams did not play doubles, as they began the match with singles and the match was decided after singles play was completed.

The Broncs’ Jeremy Salvo (So. Coquitlam, BC/Centennial Secondary), who was just named Southland Conference Men’s Tennis Player of the Week, had his nine-match winning streak snapped when he lost to Rice’s Takehiko Morita, 6-2, 6-3, at number three singles. Freshman Nik Porter (Tunbridge Wells, England/Bennett Memorial School) split sets with Jose Rodrigo Gabriel at number five singles, but lost in a super-tiebreaker, 7-5, 6-7, (10-7), while junior Tom Mangelschots (Limburg, Belgium/KA 2 HS) lost to Rice’s 29th-ranked Richard Barker at number one, 6-2, 6-4. The Owls won five of the six matches in straight sets.

“I don’t feel that we played well today,” said UTPA Head Coach Todd Chapman.  “We looked like we were tired, but had some good spurts.  Nick and Tom played well, hopefully we can pull it together for Saturday.”

The Broncs will return to action on Saturday, when they host Texas-San Antonio in an important Southland Conference match at 3:00 p.m.

MT-RICE-040903

Rice 6, UTPA 0

Singles

1.             Richard Barker (RU) def. Tom Mangelschots (UTPA) 6-2, 6-4

2.             Konstantin Haerle (RU) def. Filip Koziell (UTPA) 6-3, 6-3

3.             Takehiko Morita (RU) def. Jeremy Salvo (UTPA) 6-2, 6-3

4.             Cody Jackson (RU) def. Oliver Steil (UTPA) 6-0, 7-5

5.             Jose Rodrigo Gabriel (RU) def. Nik Porter (UTPA) 7-5, 6-7, (10-7)

6.             Ramez Quamer (RU) def. Neil Barraclough (UTPA) 6-2, 6-2