Tulsa, Okla.--The No. 4 seeded University of Hawai`i Warrior tennis team took on No. 3 seeded Rice in the Western Athletic Conference tournament at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center, Friday, but fell short in the first round, 4-2. Hawai`i ends its season with a respectable 16-11 overall record while the Owls advance to the quarterfinal round to face the winner of the Tulsa/Nevada match.

Rice got an edge on the Warriors from the start with a victory in the doubles portion of the match. Duo Lincoln Leeder and Malino Oda abandoned their match against the Owl’s No. 1 doubles team after Rice claimed victories in the No. 2 and 3 position to lead the Warriors, 1-0.

Hawai`i’s Justin Menolascino and Francisco Brignole garnered two points for the Warriors by claiming victories in the No. 2 and 4 positions. Menolascino defeated Matthias Mathaes in two sets, 6-3, 6-2, while Brignole had to take his match to three sets to down Fabien Giraud, 3-6, 6-0, 7-5.

Reginaldo Moralejo made a second set comeback, 6-3, to take his match to a deciding third set after falling in the first, 6-3. Moralejo’s momentum wouldn’t be enough as Rice’s Williams Barker took the third set, 6-3.



Warrior Match Results

Rice def. Hawai`i, 4-2

Singles
Williams Barker def. Reginaldo Moralejo (UH), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
Justin Menolascino (UH) def. Matthias Mathaes, 6-3, 6-2
Vuk Rajevac def. Malino Oda(UH), 6-2, 6-1
Francisco Brignole (UH) def Rabien Giraud, 3-6, 6-0, 7-5
Cody Jackson def. Jorge Gonzalez (UH), 5-3 ret.
Rafael Reyes vs. Lincoln Leeder (UH), Abandoned

Doubles
Leeder/Oda (UH) vs. Venkataraman/Mathaes, Abandoned
Barker/Jackson def. Menolascino/Moralejo (UH), 8-3
Rajevac/Giraud def. Gonzalez/Kai Ohuchi (UH), 8-4