NOTEBOOK: Two War on I-4 wins highlight tennis conference tournaments
USF women’s tennis entered the AAC Tournament on April 20 as the lowest seed in the field and on a five-game losing streak. Two days later, they found themselves in the tournament semifinals after pulling off two remarkable upsets.
Wednesday’s 4-3 win over Temple may have just been an 8-9 seed matchup, but the Bulls (7-16) picked up the final three singles points to advance to the next round in a fierce comeback, snapping that losing skid in the process.
Thursday was the real treat for Bulls fans, a 4-3 victory over top-seeded No. 18 UCF in the quarterfinals. The Knights were winners of eight consecutive matches, including a 4-0 win over USF in their previous game.
With the score tied 3-3, freshman Sierra Berry clinched the shocking upset with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 triumph over Noel Saidenova to send the Knights home.
The Bulls’ run would come to an end in the semis, losing 4-0 to No. 4 seed Memphis.
No. 41 Men’s tennis picks up conference tournament win over No. 44 UCF
The men’s tennis matchup with UCF was much more even on paper than the women’s clash. Both teams are recognized as one of the best in the country and they combined for a back-and-forth contest that came down to the wire.
USF grabbed the first point of the match thanks to the duo of sophomore Alvin Tudorica and junior Sergio Gomez Montesa winning the final doubles matchup.
A first singles win set the Bulls up nicely to close out the match, but the Knights rattled off three consecutive singles wins shortly after to take a commanding 3-2 lead. Juniors Chase Ferguson and Antonio Muniz both triumphed over their respective singles opponents to eliminate UCF in the quarterfinals, a mirror image of the women’s team.
The Bulls would fall 4-2 in the semifinals to top-seeded SMU, however.
Baseball wins first AAC series against Cincinnati
USF baseball picked up its first series win in conference play on the road at Cincinnati and scored a season-high number of runs in Sunday’s 19-5 win.
The Bulls (23-17, 4-8 AAC) rebounded from a 13-2 loss on Saturday for their biggest margin of victory since a 17-2 blowout of Stony Brook on Feb. 27.
Offensive production was led throughout the weekend by four true freshmen — infielder Bobby Boser, outfielders Marcus Brodil and Jackson Mayo and first baseman Sonny Rao. Together, they combined for 13 hits, 12 runs and 12 RBI.
USF also won the series opener on Friday 10-9, a notable game in its own right. Rao’s two-run double in the top of the ninth completed the late rally for a dramatic victory.
The Bulls return home to begin a three-game series against Houston on Friday at 6:30 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and broadcast on iHeartRadio Bulls Unlimited.
More Stories
USF women’s basketball rounds out roster with seven offseason additions
Last season didn’t go as expected for USF’s women’s basketball team as they finished fifth in the conference. The Bulls are using the offseason to retool and return to their past years’ glory. The incoming players include balanced contributors, scoring options and size at the power forward and center positions. Here are some of the […]
USF’s Chris Brown looks to keep a winning record alive: “I’m not ready to leave this arena yet.”
Though Chris Brown was named the new soccer head coach in November, he is not new to USF Athletics. Brown has been with the team for 17 years. He was an assistant coach to his wife Denise Schilte-Brown who was also with the Bulls for 17 years. Together they won a conference championship every year […]
The Oracle needs your help
Dear reader: Reporters for USF’s award-winning student newspaper, The Oracle, have recently navigated through a pandemic, a rapidly evolving political climate and a change in university president – all with the goal of sharing important news and stories. Though The Oracle has been an integral part in keeping the USF community informed since 1966, we […]
COLUMN: Cherish the press box moments
I still remember standing at mid-field as USF Football celebrated its Boca Raton Bowl win over Syracuse. Picture this scene: The crowd rushes to the field to surround the team and catch a glimpse of the Boca Raton Bowl trophy. “Go Bulls” echoed throughout the stadium, and green and gold confetti was everywhere. I soaked […]
Here’s how these undrafted USF football players’ careers turned out
Ahead of Thursday’s NFL Draft, many players wait in anticipation to hear their names called in the first round. For some, it’s an instant ticket to stardom. But being selected on the first day of the draft isn’t the only route to a successful career. Fifteen former undrafted NFL players are enshrined in the NFL […]
Column: USF men’s basketball, thanks for the fun season
This is a personal column about assistant sports editor Noah Vinsky’s first-hand experience covering men’s basketball. Sports have always run in my blood. Growing up, ESPN was nearly on a constant loop on my living room television. I came to USF knowing I wanted to be a writer. The Oracle seemed like a great place […]