IRVINE, Calif. – Three Concordia University Irvine tennis standouts are competing in Rome, Georgia this week on the national stage at the ITA Cup.
Concordia's Max Mueller and Felix Veyhle rose to the occasion in men's doubles, securing their trip to Georgia after winning the ITA Regional Fall tournament hosted in Azusa in late September.
The pair even won their first match at the ITA Cup on Thursday as they look to continue to make a name for themselves and their school. CUI faced Stephen Slocombe and Germano Setti of Midwestern State and defeated their opponents in a three-set thriller. Mueller and Veyhle took the first set 6-2, lost 6-7 (4-7) in the second and then eked out the victory in epic fashion, winning 10-8 to break the tie.
The men advanced to play in the quarterfinals Friday against Sebastian Rondon and Diego Duran from the University of West Florida.
UPDATE: The pairing of Mueller and Veyhle played admirably but woud up falling in two sets to the tandem from West Florida, 3-6, 6-7 (4-7). The Golden Eagles project to play at least once more on Saturday in the consolation bracket.
All-American
Sophie Rachor also qualified for the national tournament as an at-large bid in women's singles. Rachor is 29-13 overall in singles after her first two seasons at Concordia and was named a First Team All-PacWest selection after going 15-4 at the top position last spring.
UPDATE: On Thursday in Georgia, Rachor won her first set against Angelina Linnikova from the University of North Georgia but ultimately lost in three sets after her opponent bounced back with consecutive victories. The final tally was 3-6, 6-0, 6-3. Then on Friday morning, Rachor was locked in another heated battle with Alexia Zarate Valdez from Harding University. Rachor won the opening set again by a count of 6-3, but Zarate Valdez rebounded with a 6-4, 7-6 decision, claiming victory on a 7-3 tiebreaker.
Rachor had lots of success at the ITA West Regional Tournament
exactly one year after winning the doubles bracket with former CUI teammate
Tiffany Carrillo. Rachor won her first three matches in singles this time around to make the quarterfinals. She dispatched Charlotte Downs of Cal State LA 6-2, 6-0 and also fended off Dominican's Sofia Acuna. She topped Shannele Lopez of APU by the count of 6-3, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals.
At the regional stage, both Veyhle and
Lemiel Kei Taira won their first two singles matches and advanced to the Round of 16. Adam Vasir of Hawaii Pacific outlasted Vehyle 6-4, 3-6, 10-3, and Kei Taira was knocked out by Biola's Jules Zanarelli.
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