April 20, 2007

HOUSTON, Texas - Top-seeded Tulsa, ranked 21st nationally in the latest Fila Collegiate Tennis Poll, recorded a 4-0 victory over eighth-seeded East Carolina Friday afternoon during quarterfinal play of the 2007 Conference USA Men's Tennis Championship Friday at Jake Hess Tennis Stadium on the campus of Rice University.

Tulsa won the doubles points and followed with singles victories at the No. 1, 5 and 6 positions as the Golden Hurricane's veteran-laden squad took advantage of a young Pirate team that featured four freshmen and two sophomores in the starting lineup.

Junior Arnau Brugues and senior Federico Soriano handed ECU's freshmen duo of Sam McSpadden and Bryan Oakley an 8-1 loss for TU's first win of the day. Tulsa's 39th-ranked doubles pair of senior Diego Camacho and sophomore Ross Cunningham ended doubles action with an 8-2 win over sophomore Aleksey Kochetov and freshman Stephen Whitwell.

Camacho started singles play with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over ECU's McSpadden at the No. 6 slot before Brugues and Cunningham followed with wins at No. 1 and 5, respectively, for the team's 16th triumph of the season. Brugues, who currently stands 5th in the latest ITA rankings, defeated Kochetov, 6-3, 6-1, while Cunningham completed the sweep with a pair of 6-2 scores against sophomore Brian Walters.

East Carolina concluded its season with a 10-14 record while Tulsa (16-6) advances to face fourth-seeded UAB in the first of two semifinals matches Saturday.

NO. 21 TULSA 4, EAST CAROLINA 0
Singles Play
No. 1 - No. 5 Arnau Brugues (TU) def. Aleksey Kochetov (ECU); 6-3, 6-1
No. 2 - Ricardo Soriano (TU) vs. Bryan Oakley (ECU); 6-2, 2-1, unfinished
No. 3 - Will Gray (TU) vs. Stephen Whitwell (ECU); 6-6, unfinished
No. 4 - Matt Peeler (ECU) vs. Federico Soriano (TU); 6-4, unfinished
No. 5 - Ross Cunningham (TU) def. Brian Walters (ECU); 6-2, 6-2
No. 6 - Diego Camacho (TU) def. Sam McSpadden (ECU): 6-1, 6-0
Doubles Play
No. 1 - No. 39 Camacho/Cunningham (TU) def. Kochetov/Whitwell (ECU); 8-2
No. 2 - Andy Connelly/Lucques Maasdorp (TU) def. Peeler/Walters (ECU); 6-3, unfinished
No. 3 - Brugues/F. Soriano (TU) def. McSpadden/Oakley (ECU): 8-1
Team Records: East Carolina 10-14, No. 21 Tulsa 16-6