Sunday, April 19
Tulsa, Okla.
12:00 p.m.
Tulsa
4
vs
1
Rice
Photo by: Evert Nelson / The American
Men’s Tennis Claims First American Conference Championship Title in Program History
4/19/2026 4:14:00 PM | Men's Tennis
TULSA, Okla. – Tulsa men's tennis captured its first American Conference Championship title in program history with a decisive 4-1 victory over top-seeded Rice (15-8) on Sunday.
The Golden Hurricane (19-12) completed an impressive tournament run, defeating the No. 3, No. 2, and No. 1 seeds in consecutive matches after opening with a win over the No. 11 seed.
Junior Nikita Volonski delivered the clinching point in dramatic fashion, closing out a tightly contested second set to secure both the match and the championship for Tulsa.
Tulsa seized early momentum by claiming the doubles point with wins on courts two and three. Victor Tosetto and Gus Tettamble set the tone with a 6-3 victory, and Volonski paired with Timothy Carlsson Seger to defeat Rice's second doubles team 6-4, giving the Golden Hurricane a 1-0 lead heading into singles play.
Singles competition proved tightly contested, with first sets split evenly at three apiece. Tosetto extended Tulsa's lead with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 win, and Carlsson Seger followed with a 6-3, 6-4 victory to put the Hurricane one point away from the title.
Volonski's match provided the final push. He generated multiple match points in the second set, but Rice's Petro Kuzmenok fought back each time to force a tiebreaker. Volonski maintained composure under pressure and closed out the tiebreak 7-4, sealing the championship and earning American Conference Championship Most Outstanding Player honors.
With the title, Tulsa secures an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. The selection show will take place Monday, April 27 at 3 p.m. CT.
The Golden Hurricane (19-12) completed an impressive tournament run, defeating the No. 3, No. 2, and No. 1 seeds in consecutive matches after opening with a win over the No. 11 seed.
Junior Nikita Volonski delivered the clinching point in dramatic fashion, closing out a tightly contested second set to secure both the match and the championship for Tulsa.
Tulsa seized early momentum by claiming the doubles point with wins on courts two and three. Victor Tosetto and Gus Tettamble set the tone with a 6-3 victory, and Volonski paired with Timothy Carlsson Seger to defeat Rice's second doubles team 6-4, giving the Golden Hurricane a 1-0 lead heading into singles play.
Singles competition proved tightly contested, with first sets split evenly at three apiece. Tosetto extended Tulsa's lead with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 win, and Carlsson Seger followed with a 6-3, 6-4 victory to put the Hurricane one point away from the title.
Volonski's match provided the final push. He generated multiple match points in the second set, but Rice's Petro Kuzmenok fought back each time to force a tiebreaker. Volonski maintained composure under pressure and closed out the tiebreak 7-4, sealing the championship and earning American Conference Championship Most Outstanding Player honors.
With the title, Tulsa secures an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. The selection show will take place Monday, April 27 at 3 p.m. CT.
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,3
#1 Singles Match
12
67
Petro Kuzmenok / 0 [RICE]
36
#2 Singles Match
12
66
Santiago Navarro / 0 [RICE]
34
#3 Singles Match
1234
264UF
Rafael Botran / 0 [RICE]
614UF
#4 Singles Match
12
11
Kabeer Kapasi / 0 [RICE]
66
#5 Singles Match
1234
064UF
Gabriel Porras / 0 [RICE]
631UF
#6 Singles Match
12
66
Noey Do / 0 [RICE]
12
Order of Finish:
1,2,4,6
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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