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Bob Keroack/CAASports.com

Men's Tennis Joe Browning

Seahawks Win Seventh CAA Tennis Title

WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia – Junior Bruno Caula outlasted William & Mary's Brenden Volk in three sets to lift top-seeded UNCW over the Tribe, 4-3, in the finals of the 2021 Colonial Athletic Association Men's Tennis Championships on Sunday at William & Mary's Millie West Tennis Facility.
 
The Seahawks, 15-5, captured their seventh CAA title and third crown in the last four years with the narrow decision. The Tribe finished its season with a 9-5 record. UNCW will learn its postseason destination on Monday, May 3, when the NCAA Selection Show is aired at 6:30 p.m. on NCAA.com.
 
"I'm amazingly excited and just drained," said Mait DuBois, UNCW's 14-year head coach. "We have two seniors that deserved to go out with a championship. The character of team has been so great and they've overcome so much. I really wanted it for them.
 
"We're going to take couple days to rest up and find out who we play in the regionals. We'll get back to our normal practice schedule and prepare for the tournament."
 
The Seahawks continued a strong run in the CAA Tournament. UNCW has won 11 of its last 12 tournament matches and avenged a stinging 4-2 loss to Elon two years ago. There was no postseason tournament last year due to Covid-19.
 
"Everybody that played today was dealing with some type of injury," added DuBois. "We were playing in the finals against a team on its home court with the home crowd. Nothing came easy."
 
In doubles, the No. 3 tandem of Leonardo Sprovieri and Gabriel Hurtado edged W&M's Chen Ruo and Finbar Takott, 7-5, to clinch the early point for the Seahawks. UNCW won the doubles point for the 16th time in 20 matches this spring.
 
In singles, the Tribe took the first match off the court before the Seahawks pushed the score to 3-1 with victories at No. 6 and No. 4 singles. Senior Michael Copeland defeated W&M's Chen Ruo, 6-4, 6-2, at the No. 6 slot and freshman Bekhzod Rasamatov rallied past Finbar Talcott, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2, at No. 4 singles.
 
W&M stormed back, however, with wins at No. 5 and No. 2 singles to knot the score and set up Caula's dramatic win over Volk. Caula, from Cordoba, Argentina, claimed the first set, 6-4, but lost a tie-breaker, 7-6 (4). He then surged ahead 5-3 and 15-love in the third and final set and finished off a 6-3 verdict, setting off a wild celebration by his teammates. Caula stands 11-6 in singles this spring.
 
The Seahawks, who defeated Hofstra in the quarterfinals and James Madison in the semifinals, stand 17-3 as the No. 1 seed in the tournament and remain perfect in four tries against W&M in the championship match. UNCW is 35-26 all-time in the CAA Tournament.
 
DuBois said, "The biggest thing about today was dealing with the nerves rather than the tennis. Bruno had a chance to win his match in straight sets, but the William & Mary player got hot. At the end of his match, Bruno really dialed in."
 
Copeland continued his outstanding play in the postseason. The Johannesburg, South Africa, netter finished his conference career without losing a match in the CAA Tournament, going a combined 20-0 in singles and doubles in the event.
 
#1 UNCW 4, #3 William & Mary 3
May 2, 2021 | Millie West Tennis Facility | Williamsburg, Va.
 
Singles
1. Bruno Caula (UNCW) def. Brenden Volk (WM), 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3
2. Lev Kazakov (WM) def. Davide Innocenti (UNCW), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
3. George Davis (WM) def. Daniel Groom (UNCW), 6-2, 6-2
4. Bekhzod Rasamatov (UNCW) def. Finbar Talcott (WM), 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
5. Sebastian Quiros (WM) def. Gabriel Hurtado (UNCW), 5-7, 6-3, 6-1
6. Michael Copeland (UNCW) def. Chen Ruo (WM), 6-4, 6-2
 
Doubles
1. George Davis/Brenden Volk (WM) def. #66 Bruno Caula/Daniel Groom (UNCW), 6-3
2. Dillon Gooch/Bekhzod Rasamatov (UNCW) def. Lev Kazakov/Sebastian Quiros (WM), 6-1
3. Leonardo Sprovieri/Gabriel Hurtado (UNCW) def. Chen Ruo/Finbar Talcott (WM), 7-5
 
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (3,6,4,5,2,1)


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Players Mentioned

Bruno Caula

Bruno Caula

6' 2"
Junior
Michael Copeland

Michael Copeland

6' 1"
Senior
Dillon Gooch

Dillon Gooch

6' 0"
Junior
Daniel Groom

Daniel Groom

5' 9"
Senior
Davide Innocenti

Davide Innocenti

6' 1"
Junior
Leonardo Sprovieri

Leonardo Sprovieri

5' 9"
Junior
Beka Rasamatov

Beka Rasamatov

6' 0"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Bruno Caula

Bruno Caula

6' 2"
Junior
Michael Copeland

Michael Copeland

6' 1"
Senior
Dillon Gooch

Dillon Gooch

6' 0"
Junior
Daniel Groom

Daniel Groom

5' 9"
Senior
Davide Innocenti

Davide Innocenti

6' 1"
Junior
Leonardo Sprovieri

Leonardo Sprovieri

5' 9"
Junior
Beka Rasamatov

Beka Rasamatov

6' 0"
Freshman