SAN ANTONIO – In addition to a mid-match celebration of his career and contributions, the No. 37 UTSA Roadrunners men's tennis team (16-4) provided senior Sebastian Rodriguez with another great gesture on Friday afternoon, downing William & Mary in a decisive 4-0 Senior Day victory at the UTSA Tennis Center. With the win, UTSA's win streak grows to 14 and moves into a tie for the longest active streak in the nation.
The Roadrunners got off to a strong start against the Tribe, as Jackson Ross and Tiago Torres put away the first doubles win, besting Joseph Brailovsky and Alexander Karman, 6-2 on court two. On three, Miguel Alonso and Garrett Skelly followed suit and delivered the doubles point for UTSA by defeating Daniel Pellerito and Andres Silva, 6-4.
Among the first players for fourth-year head coach Sergey Avdeyev, Rodriguez was recognized following the completion of the doubles match. Coming to San Antonio out of Trujillo, Peru, Rodriguez has built up a singles record of 32-26 across his four seasons as a Roadrunner, also going 37-19 on the top two doubles court in collaboration with a variety of partners. Rodriguez was one of the prolific players that began to steer the program toward its current course.
In a historic fall 2022 season for the Roadrunners, junior Alan Magadan joined Rodriguez to produce a doubles team that advanced further than any prior UTSA duo in earning the ITA Texas Regional doubles championship – defeating TCU's pair, 6-3, 6-3 to move on to ITA Nationals. Rodriguez and Magadan reached the national quarterfinal as the only non-Power 5 pair competing in the round, ultimately falling short in a three-set loss. For their efforts, they earned a No. 6 national ranking among doubles pairs after producing an 11-4 record in the fall.
Just last season, Rodriguez helped give the Roadrunners their first advance in the C-USA Tournament in seven seasons, clinching the match on the third court to defeat Old Dominion and move on. The 2020 Conference USA Freshman of the Year, Rodriguez has also earned C-USA Athlete of the Week accolades and is a three-time member of the C-USA Honor Roll.
In addition to Senior Day, it was a reunion of sorts, as former five-year UTSA head coach Jeff Kader brought his William & Mary squad back to San Antonio for the second time since returning to his alma mater following the 2015 season.
Continuing the steady pace in Friday's action, the Roadrunners jumped all over the Tribe early in the singles match, earning first-set victories on all six courts. First to the finish, Danijal Muminovic defeated Bill Duo on court four, 6-2, 6-3. Skelly wasn't far behind out on six, putting away Daniel Pellerito, 6-2, 6-4, to draw the Roadrunners within a single point of their 14th consecutive win. With one other court in contention for the honor, defending Conference USA Athlete of the Week Torres clinched the 4-0 victory by besting George Davis on court one, 6-4, 6-4.
The Roadrunners captured their second sweep in the past week, and sixth of the season, closing out the home schedule on a victory for the second time under Avdedyev and eighth time in the last 10 complete seasons. The 2023 squad is now just one win shy of matching the Kader-coached 2015 squad for the third-most single-season wins in program history.
Quoting Coach Sergey Avdeyev
"Always happy to get another win. It was special match as we had our senior, Sebastian playing his last home match. We had an outstanding and engaged crowd today and it was a lot of fun to play."
Doubles Results
Order of Finish: 2, 3
1. Tomas Pinho/Sebastian Rodriguez vs. George Davis/Bill Duo: 4-5, (unfinished)
2. Tiago Torres/Jackson Ross def. Joseph Brailovsky/Alexander Karman: 6-2
3. Miguel Alonso/Garrett Skelly def. Daniel Pellerito/Andres Silva: 6-4
Singles Results
Order of Finish: 4, 6, 1
1. Tiago Torres def. George Davis: 6-4, 6-4
2. Sebastian Rodriguez vs. Joseph Brailovsky: 6-2, 1-6, 1-0 (unfinished)
3. Tomás Pinho vs. Andres Silva: 6-4, 5-3 (unfinished)
4. Danijal Muminovic def. Bill Duo: 6-2, 6-3
5. Jackson Ross vs. Sean Joseph: 6-3, 3-4 (unfinished)
6. Garrett Skelly def. Daniel Pellerito: 6-2, 6-4
Up Next
The Roadrunners will spend the remainder of the regular season on the road. UTSA travels to San Diego State on March 31st, then heads to Houston for a preview of the Conference USA Tournament facility with a visit to 73rd-ranked Rice on April 8. The Roadrunners will have a 13-day gap before the start of the Conference USA Championships, April 21-23.
- UTSA -
