Rice University
Bennett/Warren vs. Schipanski/Valero
Bennett and Warren Fall in NCAA Opener
5/26/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
By Chuck Pool (cpool@rice.edu) -
TULSA, OK-Rice juniors Tommy Bennett and David Warren started fast but Tennessee's Jack Schipanski and Luis Valero rebounded to advance in the opening round of the NCAA Men's Doubles Championship at the Case Tennis Center on Thursday.
Bennett and Warren grabbed the opening set 6-3, but saw the Vols' 20th ranked tandem respond with a 6-3 win in the second and then close out the win with a 10-7 verdict in the deciding set.
"We came out strong early and were able to get early breaks and serve out the set," Rice head coach Efe Ustundag said. "But after the first set, we did not return well and never saw another break point. I thought we played hard, but we were not loose enough. That was the one thing that was a constant in the regular season, but today I thought we were a little stiff."
While he was disappointed with the result, Ustundag noted that the NCAA berth was an unexpected addition to an season that saw the Owls capture their first C-USA crown and return to the national top 30 for the first time since 2010.
"It was an unfortunate end to the year, but I am really proud of what they accomplished this year. They only began playing together at the end of March and qualifying for NCAA's was not something we would have anticipated, but they did a great job to reach this level.
"We have some great things that can happen next year, including a return to the NCAA Championship. I can't wait to get started," Ustundag added.
Players Mentioned
