Ambulo Closes Out Career With Win; Men Defeat TLU 5-4 to Place 5th in SCAC

KERRVILLE, Tex. - After the epic thriller on Day 1, no one would expect any less from the Austin College Men's Tennis Team on Day 2 in the SCAC Championships

AC would square off against TLU for a second time in two weeks, but the Bulldogs were bringing the fight to this matchup.

Ambulo and Granberry struck first blood with a decisive 8-3 victory at Line 1, but the other two doubles matches would go to tiebreakers to decide the set.  Kubena and Oxenreiter would drop the Line 3 match, but Glasscock and Meendsen would win theirs, saving 3 match points en route to a 9-8 (8-6) victory.

The Bulldogs would take the first set on the top-3 courts, and Austin College would take the first set on courts 4, 5, and 6.  Kenneth Hardy would win the first match of singles play with a decisive 6-2, 6-1 result.

Meendsen would fall in a quick 6-1, 6-4 result, and then Josh Granberry would be defeated at Line 3 6-3, 6-4, levelling the match at 3-3.

Glasscock would put the men up 4-3 with a third set victory, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, just as Cedric Ambulo split with Ryan Beene at Line 1 singles.

Will Crouch had come from behind to take a first set 7-6 (9-7), but would fall 5-7 in the second set to force a third set in what looked to be an important point for the 'Roos with the match still hanging in the balance.

Ambulo's serve was broken up 5-4 in the third set, and he would find himself down Love-40 in his opponents service game.  But the senior dug deep and won 5 straight point to break back, and closed out the match with a flawless service game.

The match-clinching performance sealed the senior's victory with a win, and improved the Austin College Men's Tennis Team's position from 6th last year to 5th, with several core players from this year's team returning to the courts next season.

Austin College 5, Texas Lutheran University 4

SCAC Men's Tennis Championships - 5th Place Match

HEB Municipal Tennis Center

4/23/16

Singles Play

1. Cedric Ambulo (AC) def. Ryan Beene (TLU) 2-6, 6-3, 7-5

2. Kyle Thompson (TLU) def. Erik Meendsen (AC) 6-1, 6-4

3. Eric Beckenbach (TLU) def. Josh Granberry (AC) 6-3, 6-4

4. Kenneth Hardy (AC) def. Greg Nelson (TLU) 6-2, 6-1

5. Preston Glasscock (AC) def. Nick Roccaforte (TLU) 6-2, 3-6, 6-1

6. Adrian Balderas (TLU) def. Will Crouch (AC) 6-7 (7-9), 7-5, 6-4

Doubles Play

1. Ambulo/Granberry (AC) def. Thompson/Nelson (TLU) 8-3

2. Glasscock/Meendsen (AC) def. Beckenbach/Dunmore (TLU) 9-8 (6)

3. Beene/Balderas (TLU) def. Oxenreiter/Kubena (AC) 9-8 (5)

Match Notes

Austin College: 8-6 (3-3)

Texas Lutheran University: 9-12

Order of Finish: Doubles (1, 3, 2) Singles (4, 2, 3, 5, 1, 6)