?Roos Come Up Just Short In Pursuit Of WAC Title

Sunday, May 1

Brownsville, Texas

1:00 PM

Kansas City

New Mexico State (Final)

?Roos Come Up Just Short In Pursuit Of WAC Title

5/1/2016 7:40:00 PM | Men's Tennis

By: UMKC Athletics

(Kansas City, Mo.) – Top-seeded and regular season WAC Co-Champion UMKC men's tennis (17-8) came up just short in its pursuit of the 2016 WAC Men's Tennis Championship and berth in the NCAA Tournament as it fell 4-3 to New Mexico State in the championship match in Brownsville, Texas.

The 'Roos went ahead 1-0 in the match taking the doubles point in hard fought matches as Airam Castellano and Mike Psarros won at No. 1 7-5 and Andrey Smirnov and Vinh Pham held on at No. 3 to win 7-6 (7-3).

Castellano extended the 'Roos lead to 2-0 when he picked up a 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 1, but NMSU quickly evened the match at 2-2 as Uldis Gaismins fell 6-3, 6-2 at No. 3 and Pham fell 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 at No. 5

Amaury Navette gave UMKC back the lead with a 6-0, 7-6 (7-4) win at No. 6 leaving the 'Roos one point shy of the title with two matches remaining.

At No. 4, Psarros dropped the first set 6-3, before rebounding in set two with a 7-6 (7-3) win to even the match at one set apiece. Psarros, though, fell 6-2 in set three as the Aggies tied the score at 3-3.

The championship then came down to the match at No. 2 where, after dropping the first set 6-4, Smirnov tied the match at 1-1 with a 7-6 (8-6) victory. Like Psarros, Smirnov was unable to come away with the final set, falling 6-3 as the Aggies claimed the title.

On the season, Castellano (27), Navette (24) and Psarros (22) finished 1-3 on the 'Roos single season singles win list, while in doubles Psarros and Castellano teamed up for 24 wins, a new UMKC record.

The 17 overall wins, meanwhile, tied the 2009-10 for most in school history.

NM State 4, Missouri-Kansas City 3
May 01, 2016 at Brownsville, TX (Brownsville Tennis Center)

Singles competition

1. Airam Castellano (UMKC) def. Strahinja Trecakov (NMSU) 6-4, 6-1

2. Christofer Goncalves (NMSU) def. Andrey Smirnov (UMKC) 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3

3. Liam Goldberg (NMSU) def. Uldis Gaismins (UMKC) 6-3, 6-2

4. Stijn de Haan (NMSU) def. Mike Psarros (UMKC) 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2

5. Mauri Benitez (NMSU) def. Vinh Pham (UMKC) 7-6 (7-4), 6-1

6. Amaury Navette (UMKC) def. Enrique Asmar (NMSU) 6-0, 7-6 (7-4)

Doubles competition

1. Airam Castellano/Mike Psarros (UMKC) def. Strahinja Trecakov/Liam Goldberg (NMSU) 7-5

2. Uldis Gaismins/Amaury Navette (UMKC) vs. Christofer Goncalves/Stijn de Haan (NMSU) unfinished