BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- The West Virginia State University men's tennis team had a strong showing at the Division II Men's Atlantic ITA Regional Championships hosted by Bloomsburg on Sept. 18-20. Paulo Gutierrez made the Round of 16 in the main draw before retiring due to injury while Mateo Flores advanced to the quarterfinals in B singles. Flores also teamed up with Alex Cottrell on a run to the semifinals in flight B doubles.

"With four freshmen starters, it's hard to have high expectations this early in the year," said Head Men's Tennis Coach Ryan Pulliam. "To go out and play like we did, against the best competition in the region, was a dream come true for our squad. 

"From the first ball strike, our guys were out there supporting each other and getting through their matches together. To see each and every player mature on the court with each match was exciting to watch."

The Yellow Jackets were boosted by the signing of four talented freshmen over the offseason that now have experienced their first major tournament. Senior captain Ryan Mullins was impressed with how his new teammates performed on the big stage.
 
"The amount of growth this team has gone through in the past two months has blown me away," said Mullins. "This tournament showed results of all the hard work everyone has put in and made a statement about what WVSU men's tennis is going to be about in the spring."
 
Gutierrez was West Virginia State's lone competitor in the singles main draw which featured the toughest opponents from the 13 schools at the tournament. He advanced through the first two rounds without dropping a set before being knocked out due to an injury.
 
Flores made it all the way to the quarterfinals in B singles before he was eliminated. Along with fellow freshman Alex Cottrell, he upset the No. 1 pairing in flight B doubles on the way to a semifinal appearance.
 
Cottrell landed in the consolation bracket of B singles after a first round defeat, but showed his resilience by making the finals without dropping a single set.
 
Elias Valencia made the Round of 16 in B singles before he was forced to retire due to an injury. Valencia, along with Gutierrez and Flores, makes up the freshmen contingent of Ecuadorian players that are expected to take the men's tennis program to new heights in the future.  
 
"With this many matches over the course of three days, it takes as much mental strength as it does physical," said Pulliam. "Several of our players found themselves playing four matches in one day. 
 
"When you factor that in, it really shows the tenacity and determination that our guys stepped on the court with. We definitely came to play and to win."
 
Results
 
Main Draw Singles
R64
Paulo Gutierrez (WVSU) def Origen Grear (Frostburg St.) 7-5, 6-4
R32
Paulo Gutierrez (WVSU) def Gustavo Martins (Edinboro) 7-5, 6-2
 
B Singles
R32
Elias Valencia (WVSU) def Syno Tegelaar (Mercyhurst) 4-6, 6-2 [11-9]
Mateo Flores (WVSU) def Avik Agrawal (Mercyhurst) 4-6, 6-3 [10-2]
R16
Mateo Flores (WVSU) def Oliver Weisemann (Bloomsburg) 6-1, 7-6(6)
 
Flight B Doubles
R16
Cottrell / Flores (WVSU) def Yen, T / Pernia, Z (Millersville) 6-4
R8
Cottrell / Flores (WVSU) def Heidelberger, A / Martinez, A (Charleston) 6-3
 
Main Draw Doubles (Consolation Bracket)
R8
Gutierrez / Mullins (WVSU) def Clary, B / Weisemann, O (Bloomsburg) 6-4
 
B Singles (Consolation Bracket)
R32
Alex Cottrell (WVSU) BYE
R16
Alex Cottrell (WVSU) def Nicholas Balaci (West Chester) 6-2, 6-2
R8
Alex Cottrell (WVSU) def Ting-yu Yen (Millersville) 6-2, 6-2