Women's Tennis | 4/23/2014 10:13:00 PM
ESU Tennis
at 2014 MIAA Championship Tournament
Cooper Tennis Center • Springfield, Mo.
Women (15-6, 7-3 MIAA) vs. Central Oklahoma (14-8, 7-3 MIAA)
Friday, April 25 at 1:00 p.m.
Last Time: UCO 5, at ESU 4 (March 7, 2014)
Men (9-8, 0-5 MIAA) vs. Nebraska-Kearney (16-4, 3-2 MIAA)
Friday, April 25 at 9:00 a.m.
Last Time: at UNK 5, ESU 4 (April 12, 2014)
CHAMPIONSHIP TIME
The Emporia State men and women both begin play in the MIAA Championship Tournament on Friday. The men are seeded sixth and will take on Neb.-Kearney at 9 a.m. while the fifth seeded women will play Central Oklahoma at 1 p.m. at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield, Mo. Emporia State's women are ranked eighth in the latest NCAA Central Region rankings with seven teams advancing to the regional tournament.
LAST TIME OUT
The Emporia State women fell to Neb.-Kearney 9-0 back on April 12 in Kearney. It was the first time the Hornets were shutout in a full nine match dual for the first time since March 29, 2013. Taylor Smith did go three sets at #3 singles before falling 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.
The Hornet men fell to Newman 5-4 in a dual that saw four of the nine matches go to a tie-break in the final set. Diego Prudencio and Keenan Smith won 8-4 at #1 doubles while Jonathan Butron and Andrew Davids took #2 with a 9-8 decision that was 7-4 in the tie-break. Three of the six singles matches went to the third set tie-break with the Jets taking two of them. Prudencio won 6-2, 2-6, 1-0 (11-9) at #1 singles and Farhan Sadique took a straight set win 6-3, 6-3 at #5 singles for Emporia State's two singles wins. Payton Hays fell 6-4, 0-6, 1-0 (10-4) at #6 singles and in a classic match at #2 Butron fell 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (7-5), 1-0 (10-2).
THE COACH
John Cayton is in his ninth season as the head coach at Emporia State and tenth season as a collegiate head coach. He is 133-52 with the ESU women and 70-83 with the Hornet men for a combined record of 203-135 at his alma mater. He is a combined 229-149 in ten years as a head coach of men's and women's collegiate tennis. He was named the North Central Region Women's Coach of the Year in 2007 after leading ESU to a 16-3 overall mark, the MIAA Championship and a berth in the NCAA Sweet 16. He has taken three women's teams and two men's teams to the NCAA tournament.
ESU WOMEN AT A GLANCE
The Emporia State women are 15-6 overall and 7-3 in the MIAA. They are ranked eighth in the latest NCAA Central Regional Rankings with seven teams advancing to the NCAA Regional Tournament. Tawni Griffey was 16-5 on the year with a 6-1 record at #1 and a 10-4 mark at #2 singles. Amy Fugit went 15-5 on the season playing at #3, #5 and #6 singles including an 8-2 mark in MIAA play. Griffey and Nicole Jara were 13-4 at #1 doubles with an 8-2 mark in conference action.
SCOUTING UCO WOMEN
The Broncos are 14-8 overall and went 7-3 in the MIAA. They are ranked seventh in the latest NCAA Central Region Rankings.
LAST VS. UCO
The Emporia State women won all three double matches but dropped five of six singles matches in a 5-4 loss to then #42 Central Oklahoma at the Milton Courts in the MIAA opener for the Hornets.
ESU MEN AT A GLANCE
The Emporia State men are 9-8 overall and 0-5 in the MIAA. Diego Prudencio is 10-6 at #1 singles and has gone 6-8 in doubles competition. Payton Hays is 11-3 on the year with a 7-3 record at #6 singles while going 3-0 at #4 and winning his only match at #5 singles. The Hornets have only won one doubles match in five MIAA duals this season.
SCOUTING UNK MEN
The Lopers are 16-4 on the year and went 3-2 in the MIAA.
LAST VS. UNK
The Hornets lost all three doubles matches, with two of then going to the tiebreaker and the third being an 8-6 score. Emporia State tried to battle back in singles with wins from Diego Prudencio at #1, Jonathan Butron at #2, Keenan Smith at #3 and Payton Hays at #6 but could not get the needed fifth match.
UP NEXT
The NCAA Central Regional tournament will be May 2-4 for those teams that qualify.
