BELTON, Texas – Winning back-to-back American Southwest Conference Tournament Championships, East Texas Baptist University came back from being down, 3-1, to edge the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, 4-3, to earn the program's second championship, winning three three-set matches. The Tigers secured the victory by winning the doubles point and taking singles wins at the No. 1, No. 3, and No. 4 positions.
"This was a great match. We started the match winning the doubles point, but went down, 3-1, with three singles matches left," said head coach Tommy Heim. "With three matches left, our boys dug down and won all three matches in the third set fighting hard for the wins. Erick was the clincher and played really well down to the final point. I am really proud of this team and win."
The match came down to the No. 4 singles match as
Erick Van Zyl won a three-set tiebreaker, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3, to become the ASC Tournament MVP. Making the ASC All-Tournament team were
Baptiste Berthier,
Sam Black,
Mark Armbruster, and Van Zyl.
ETBU claimed the doubles point with victories at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles.
Max Karseno and Black secured a 6-4 win over Arturo Langle and Davi Savi at No. 1 doubles, while Berthier and
Jacob Daniell mirrored that result with a 6-4 triumph against Alec Rule and Edgar Mayorga Calva at No. 3 doubles. Mary Hardin-Baylor recorded a 6-2 win at No. 2 doubles with Kell Castleberry and Vince Rivas prevailing over Van Zyl and Armbruster.
In singles play, Mary Hardin-Baylor initially leveled the score with a win at No. 2 singles, where Langle defeated
Jaco Snyman 7-5, 6-1. Mary Hardin-Baylor then took the lead with victories at No. 6 singles, as Castleberry overcame Karseno 6-2, 6-2, and at No. 5 singles, where Marcus Torres bested Berthier 6-2, 6-4.
ETBU responded with a comeback, starting at No. 1 singles, where Black rallied to defeat Savi 2-6, 6-0, 6-4 in a three-set rally. Armbruster evened the score with a three-set win, too, at No. 3 singles over Mayorga Calva, finishing 6-0, 4-6, 6-1. The clincher came on the racquet of Van Zyl at No. 4 singles, who secured the decisive point with a hard-fought 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory over Rule. This win sealed a 4-3 result for the Tigers in this postseason matchup.
Doubles
Max Karseno/
Sam Black (ETBU) def. Arturo Langle/Davi Savi (MARY_HAR) 6-4
Kell Castleberry/Vince Rivas (MARY_HAR) def.
Erick Van Zyl/
Mark Armbruster (ETBU) 6-2
Baptiste Berthier/
Jacob Daniell (ETBU) def. Alec Rule/Edgar Mayorga Calva (MARY_HAR) 6-4
Order of finish: 1,3,2
Singles
Sam Black (ETBU) def. Davi Savi (MARY_HAR) 2-6, 6-0, 6-4
Arturo Langle (MARY_HAR) def.
Jaco Snyman (ETBU) 7-5, 6-1
Mark Armbruster (ETBU) def. Edgar Mayorga Calva (MARY_HAR) 6-0, 4-6, 6-1
Erick Van Zyl (ETBU) def. Alec Rule (MARY_HAR) 2-6, 7-5, 6-3
Marcus Torres (MARY_HAR) def.
Baptiste Berthier (ETBU) 6-2, 6-4
Kell Castleberry (MARY_HAR) def.
Max Karseno (ETBU) 6-2, 6-2
Order of finish: 2, 6, 5, 1, 3, 4
