TEMPE, Ariz. – Following impressive showings at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Regional Tournament in Oklahoma City last weekend, three Southern Arkansas Mulerider Men's Tennis players have received at-large bids to compete in the ITA Cup on October 17-20 from the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College in Rome, Georgia.
Sophomore
Marko Nikoliuk and the doubles team of senior
Aleksandr Pokusaev and sophomore
Yuri Gondouin were made known of their selection to the prestigious event on Wednesday afternoon.
Nikoliuk is one of eight individual at-large selections to the 16-player event which was made possible by him becoming a regional finalist last weekend at the aforementioned tournament in Oklahoma. The same can be said for the duo of Pokusaev and Gondouin as the two players earned an at-large selection after being eligible by way of finishing as the doubles runner-up last weekend.
All three players are in their second year with the Muleriders. Nikoliuk is from Kakhovka, Ukraine, Pokusaev hails from Tashkent, Uzbekistan and Gondouin calls Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France, home.
More Information about the 2019 ITA Cup
Four divisions of collegiate tennis converge on the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College in Rome, Georgia, to take part in the 2019 ITA Cup.
Student-athletes will receive an opportunity to qualify for the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships, where they will compete in the same tournament as the nation's top Division I players.
Prior to 2017, only one singles player had earned that distinction, by winning the "ITA Cup", which pitted the four divisional winners against each other for the right to play in the fall season's final tournament. Now, each of the four divisional champions (Divisions II, III, NAIA and JUCO) will be automatically entered in the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships, which takes place at the Newport Beach Tennis Club & The Tennis Club at Newport Beach Country Club in Newport Beach, CA.
Men's and women's doubles will still take part and compete for the ITA Cup, with the winners of those draws moving on to the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships.
Formerly known as the Small College Nationals, the ITA Cup has history dating back to 1986, and it is the only singles and doubles national championship event for the Division II and NAIA levels. This year, more than 8,000 players will take part in a total of 60 regional tournaments to gain entry into the ITA Cup field.
Each division represented will feature between eight and sixteen singles players and eight to sixteen doubles teams, competing in their respective draws.
ITA Regional Performances
Marko Nikoliuk – 6th seed
Def. Tory Shafer (Augustana) 6-0, 6-2
Def. Matias Le Fort (Oklahoma Baptist) 6-0, 6-1
Def. Alex Sandro (Harding) 6-3, 7-6
Def. Santiago Kearney (Ouachita) 6-2, 6-3
Def. Daniel Ortiz (Harding) 6-1, 7-6 (7-4)
Lost to Manuel Pilotto (Southeastern Oklahoma State) 3-6, 6-3, 3-6
Yuri Gondouin/ Alexsandr Pokusaev
Def. Antelj/Miasato (Newman) 9-8 (2)
Def. Velasco/Kurtze (Northwest Missouri State) 8-5
Def. Vuckovic/Roberts (Southeastern Oklahoma State) 8-6
Def. Finet/Krueger (Southeastern Oklahoma State)
Lost to Calloud/Zamurri (Northwest Missouri State) 5-7, 4-6
GAC Individual Championship Performances
Marko Nikoliuk
Def. Gianlucca Galdi (Oklahoma Baptist)
Def. Manuel Pilotta (Southern Arkansas) - 6-1, 6-4
Yuri Gondouin/ Alexsandr Pokusaev
Def. Graterol/Le Fort (Oklahoma Baptist)
Def. Scoppetta/Pilotto (Southeastern Oklahoma)
Def. Bellan/Ortiz (Harding)
Finet/Krueger (Southeastern Oklahoma) d.
Gondouin/Pokusaev (Southern Arkansas) Final
HC Greg Owen on Nikoliuk following his performance at the ITA Regional in Oklahoma City: "Marko Nikoliuk came back [from the summer] and has been on an absolute mission," noted Owen. "His preparation and focus in training lets you know what type of player is coming on match day. His offensive game was good last season and [it is] even better now."
HC Greg Owen on Pokusaev/Gondouin following their performance at the ITA Regional in Oklahoma City: "Pokusaev/Gondouin looked like a team that has been together for years," stated Owen. "Serves and returns for those 2 guys were great this weekend. They continually up'd their game in the biggest moments and matches."
