CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Texas A&M - Corpus Christi women's tennis team won the Southland Conference Tournament again, punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament. It wasn't the historic victory that made this moment special. It was they way they won by one Islander freshman.
"I will never forget that in my life," Ana Veroux, Islanders freshman tennis player said. "A lot of people said you just marked history."
Veroux hit the match winner, securing the Southland Conference Tournament Championship for the fourth year in-a-row. It was the first time that feat had been reached over the 61 years since this conference was established.
"Yeah I don't know what happened," Veroux said. "I don't know how I did it. I just didn't think about anything you know. Everyone was cheering for me. It helped me a lot."
Tuning out, not only the noise, but the pain. The French native suffered a right knee injury in the match, and unlike other sports there was no way to sub in a new player.
"At that point I was just telling Coach Steve, 'Oh it hurts. It's really bad.' Coach said, 'I know, I know. Just try to do your best," Veroux said.
Despite losing her lead, Veroux changed her tactics. Started playing high ball, while limping, to even the odds.
"The matches that matter most you win from the inside out. From your heart out," Steve Moore, Director of Islanders tennis, said. "That was the all-time example of that. That was the all-time example of that. I mean on a bad knee, 1-5 down in the tiebreaker and she clinches sending us to the NCAA's."
The Islanders are one of 64 teams left battling for the NCAA championship.
"It was amazing," Veroux said. "The feeling it was crazy, and I cried a long time after with the girls."
"It's that hard to do. It's that difficult a mountain to climb, and they've done it four years in-a-row. To do it like that I'll never forget."
The Islanders will now await their destination in the NCAA Tournament following the Selection Show on Monday, April 29.
