Photo by Jesse Newell
Emporia State’s Julian Rios lets out a yell after winning a point during the tiebreaker against Northwest Missouri State’s Vigit Sehgal on Saturday.
During Saturday’s Senior Day recognition, Emporia State coach John Cayton talked about how Julian Rios always seemed to raise his play up a level with the match on the line.
Just a few hours later, Rios made sure to follow through on his reputation.
After losing the first set and also facing a match point, Rios rallied for a 3-6, 6-4, 11-9 victory over Northwest Missouri State’s Vigit Sehgal on Saturday at the Emporia High Courts.
“You saw his heart and his desire out there,” Cayton said of his No. 1 singles player. “He just hangs in there, and he has the ability to find a way to win.”
The victory was one of only a few bright spots for the Hornets on Saturday, as the men’s and women’s teams both fell 7-2 to Northwest’s ranked squads.
Nothing came easy for Rios, who knew he would be in for a tough match from the first set — one that Sehgal won easily, 6-3.
“He started playing well, taking advantage of everything I was giving to him,” Rios said. “I don’t know. I just hung in there and stood strong.”
After winning a back-and-forth second set, Rios found himself in a tiebreaker.
All of the senior’s three previous losses had come in tiebreakers.
Sehgal built a lead and had a match-point opportunity at 9-8.
“I was telling myself, ‘Oh my gosh, this is happening again. I don’t want to lose again,’” Rios said. “I guess I was just trying not to think about missing. Just keep the ball in play.”
The senior came through when he needed to the most, winning the next two points before yelling to the sky after hitting the match-winner at 11-9.
“The best feeling in the world is to win after you push yourself to the limit,” Rios said. “I thought I broke through, and I was really happy about that.”
Rios also helped in the other ESU men’s victory, as he teamed with No. 1 doubles partner Kent Grossling to win, 8-4.
On the women’s side, it was senior Natalie Villaflor that helped her team to its only two triumphs.
Villaflor and Marcela Bayon took an 8-0 victory in No. 1 doubles, and Villaflor later added a 6-2, 6-2 win in No. 2 singles.
“She’s a go-to player,” Cayton said of Villaflor. “You can always count on her. She’s tough.”
The ESU women did have some close calls, as the No. 2 doubles of Molly Bowman and Kirsten Ford team lost 8-6, and the No. 3 doubles team of Audrey Sherman and Amanda Morris fell 9-7.
Both Morris and Bowman won the first sets of their singles matches before losing in three sets.
“Mentally, we just needed to focus more,” Villaflor said. “I think we’re going to learn a lot from this.”
Both ESU teams will play home exhibition matches against Cowley County on Wednesday.
Saturday at EHS Courts
NW Missouri State men 7, ESU 2
Singles
1. Julian Rios (ESU) def. Vigit Sehgal (NWMSU), 3-6, 6-4, 11-9
2. Jake Saulsbury (NWMSU) def. Kent Grossling (ESU), 6-3, 6-4
3. Daniel Usieto (NWMSU) def. Nathan Mai (ESU), 7-5, 6-2
4. Felipe Gennari (NWMSU) def. Kevin Schoon (ESU), 7-6 (7-4), 6-2
5. Giovanni Auricchio (NWMSU) def. Eric Sparks (ESU), 6-4, 6-4
6. Lucas Ariboni (NWMSU) def. Jose Vaca (ESU), 6-3, 6-3
Doubles
1. Rios/Grossling (ESU) def. Usieto/Gennari (NWMSU), 8-4
2. Ariboni/Sehgal (NWMSU) def. Mai/Schoon (ESU), 8-6
3. Saulsbury/Auricchio (NWMSU) def. Vaca/Sparks (ESU), 8-1
Records — NW Missouri State 15-4, 3-1 MIAA; Emporia State 8-7, 0-4 MIAA.
NW Missouri State women 7, ESU 2
Singles
1. Kristina Vucenov (NWMSU) def. Marcela Bayon (ESU), 6-1, 6-2
2. Natalie Villaflor (ESU) def. Veronica Castilla (NWMSU), 6-2, 6-2
3. Jordan Lipira (NWMSU) def. Amanda Morris (ESU), 6-7, 6-1, 6-4
4. Lina Gomez (NWMSU) def. Molly Bowman (ESU), 3-6, 6-1, 6-0
5. Carolina Amaral (NWMSU) def. Audrey Sherman (ESU), 6-4, 6-4
6. Gina Pendrak (NWMSU) def. Stacia Whittecar (ESU), 6-2, 6-0
Doubles
1. Bayon/Villaflor (ESU) def. Amaral/Pendrak (NWMSU), 8-0
2. Lipira/Castilla (NWMSU) def. Bowman/Ford (ESU), 8-6
3. Gomez/Vucenov (NWMSU) def. Sherman/Morris (ESU), 9-7
Records — NW Missouri State 19-3, 7-0 MIAA; Emporia State 11-3, 3-3 MIAA.
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