University of Tennessee Athletics
CHAMPS AGAIN! Libietis, Reese Defend Title
October 06, 2014 | Men's Tennis
TULSA, Okla. -- Playing their first tournament since winning the NCAA Doubles Championships in May, Tennessee seniors Mikelis Libietis and Hunter Reese added to their national trophy case Monday at the ITA All-American Championships.
Libietis and Reese became the first team in tournament history to win back-to-back doubles titles with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over the 19th-ranked Southern California team of Yannick Hanfmann and Roberto Quiroz at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center.
The Vols' leading doubles team, ranked No. 1 nationally, now own three national titles and have reached the last four major collegiate finals. Their first major trophy came at the All-American as juniors in 2013, which had been a breakout performance for the two on the national stage.
"I told Hunter that the first one was more emotional, but it's nice to do it again," Libietis said. "I think this title was a real statement. It's a statement to our doubles system and our coaches working with us."
Reese said though the venues change, their preparation for the finals remained the same. They hit at the courts in the morning, relaxed at the hotel, then returned to the courts for a final warmup before the match.
"I felt a little nervous before the match," Reese said. "It was a different kind of nerves though. It was about trying to win the title again. Mikelis pulled me through the first couple of games."
On another clear day on Tulsa's courts, Libietis and Reese stayed on serve with the USC pair through the early games of the first set. The Vols changed return tactics and broke the Trojans' serve midway through the first set. They held out to win the set 6-3.
In the second set, Libietis and Reese had many more chances on Hanfmann and Quiroz' services games. One break was all they needed. The Vols served out the championship at 5-4.
"When you play finals, you want to protect your serve, especially in this format," Tennessee associate head coach Chris Woodruff said. "It's hard to play catchup if you get behind. I thought we made really good adjustments on our return games midway through the first set, which is sometimes hard to do in finals."
Libietis and Reese beat five top-20 teams during their tournament run, including two pairs ranked in the top 10. In the quarterfinals, they ousted Columbia's Max Schnur and Ashok Narayana, a team that had defeated them in the finals of the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships last year.
"We knew what we had to focus on," Libietis said. "Some days were better or worse than others, but even when we weren't playing our best, we still made it to the finals. We saved our best for last."
Libietis and Reese are now 5-0 this season and have an 11-match winning streak dating to last season.
The Vols entered the Tulsa tournament was certainly much healthier than last year. Both players started the 2013 event with an illness, which even forced Libietis to briefly visit the hospital before their first-round match.
Tennessee has now won five titles at the ITA All-American Championships, the most at any of the three college major events. Byron Talbot and Shelby Cannon won the doubles title in 1986. John-Patrick Smith won the singles title and teamed up with Boris Conkic in doubles for a Tennessee sweep in 2009. Libietis and Reese have added their two titles to the collection.
The Vols return to fall tournament action this weekend with the Wake Forest Fall Invitational.
