Texas Tech Athletics
Texas A&M Conference Challenge
Red Raiders Have Big Day At Conference Challenge
October 26, 2014 | Men's Tennis
Texas Tech sophomore Jolan Cailleau became the second player in two days to knock of Illinois' No. 6 All-American Jared Hiltzik at the Conference Challenge in College Station.
October 26, 2014
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - If this past weekend is any indication, No. 41 Texas Tech is on the verge of returning to the ITA Top 25, a place the Red Raiders have been a part of for nine of the last 11 years.
Texas Tech's No. 43 Felipe Soares picked up his third Top 25 win of the season and the second Top 15 win in two days. In straight sets, Soares wasted no time ousting No. 15 Shane Vinsant of Texas A&M, 6-1, 6-3. The win improved Soares' record to 7-3, while Vinsant fell to 8-4.
Soares tied for second in the round robin event, going 3-1 over the weekend. It is the second straight weekend the Brazilian has gone 3-1, after doing the same thing last weekend at the ITA Texas Regionals, falling in the main draw quarterfinals.
Soares, who toppled No. 6 Jared Hiltzik of Illinois on Saturday, is also the first Red Raider since Raony Carvalho in October, 2009, to win back-to-back matches against ITA Top 20 players.
Teaming with Wichita Falls freshman Connor Curry, Soares also went 3-0 in doubles, claiming shared title honors with Texas A&M's No. 37 tandem of Jeremy Efferding and Jordan Szabo in the round robin tournament.
Soares and Curry captured the title after knocking off their second ITA Top 25 squad of the weekend, as the Red Raider tandem upset Harrison Adams and Shane Vinsant, 8-3.
On Saturday, Soares became the first netter in program history to defeat and ITA Top 6 player. On Sunday, sophomore Jolan Cailleau equaled the mark, as the Belgian defeated Illinois' Hiltzik, 7-6, 6-7, 6-2. Cailleau faced three ranked players and went just 1-3 over the weekend, but was seemingly in each match.
Curry added a three-set win over Illinois' Ross Guignon, 6-7, 7-6, 1-0 (10-4) on Sunday, followed by Nicholas Melott's 6-0, 7-5 win over John Michael Busch of LSU.
Freshman Hunter Holman picked up his third win of the event with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Texas A&M's Max Montague.
Texas Tech will now shut down the fall season and get ready for the spring, which starts with the Arizona Kickoff Classic in Tucson, Ariz., beginning Jan. 16.
CONFERENCE CHALLENGE
College Station, Texas ¦ Mitchell Tennis Center
October 26, 2014
SINGLES
Round 4
No. 46 Felipe Soares, Texas Tech def. No. 15 Shane Vinsant, Texas A&M 6-1, 6-3
Jolan Cailleau, Texas Tech def. No. 6 Jared Hiltzik, Illinois 7-6, 6-7, 6-2
Boris Arias, LSU def. Francisco Zambon, Texas Tech 6-4, 6-1
Connor Curry (TT) def. Ross Guignon (Illinois) 6-7, 7-6, 1-0 (10-4)
AJ Catanzariti (A&M) def. Alex Buzelan (TT) 6-2, 6-4
Nicholas Melott (TT) def. John Michael Busch (LSU) 6-0, 7-5
Hunter Holman (TT) def. Max Montague (A&M) 6-3, 6-2
Frankie Colunga (A&M) def. Evan Nix (TT) 6-2, 6-2
DOUBLES
Round 3
Felipe Soares / Connor Curry (TT) def. No. 23 Harrison Adams / Shave Vinsant (A&M) 8-3
Frankie Colunga / Max Montague (A&M) def. Alex Buzelan / Evan Nix (TT) 8-7
Jared Hiltzik / Toshiki Matsuya (Illinois) def. Jolan Cailleau / Francisco Zambon (TT) 8-3
Boris Arias / Simon Freund (LSU) def. Nicholas Melott / Hunter Holman (TT) 8-6
Players Mentioned
