BEAUMONT, Texas – No. 3 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi left no doubt on Tuesday evening, capturing the 2026 Southland Men’s Tennis Championship with a commanding 4-0 victory over No. 1 UIW at the Beaumont Municipal Tennis Center.
In a rematch of the regular season finale just one week prior, a 4-3 UIW win in San Antonio that clinched the outright regular season title for the Cardinals, the Islanders flipped the script in dominant fashion to claim the conference crown.
The championship marks Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s 11th Southland Tournament title on the men’s side, extending its league record, and the program’s 38th overall Southland championship across men’s and women’s regular season and tournament play.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi seized control early, earning the doubles point behind decisive wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 courts. The tandem of Mikel Garmendia and Matthieu Coignet rolled to a 6-1 victory at No. 1, while Ethan Dasset and Josef Zapletal followed with a 6-3 win at No. 3 to give the Islanders the early 1-0 edge.
From there, the Islanders carried that momentum into singles play, where their depth proved overwhelming. While UIW’s top three courts showed signs of pushing back, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi quickly stacked points on the bottom half of the lineup.
At No. 5 singles, Josef Zapletal delivered a statement performance, cruising to a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Santiago Flyckt. The win served as redemption after Zapletal fell to Flyckt in what became the deciding match of last week’s regular season showdown.
Moments later, Ethan Dasset extended the lead with a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 4, putting the Islanders within one point of the title.
Minutes later, it was Maxime Salesses who delivered the clincher, finishing off a 6-4, 6-0 victory at No. 6 to secure the 4-0 sweep and the championship.
All-Tournament Team
Doubles Team
Ethan Dasset / Josef Zapletal, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Singles Team
Alejandro Hernandez, UIW
Emilio Vila, UIW
Etienne Marty, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Maxime Salesses, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Josef Zapletal, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (MVP)
Up Next
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi will await its NCAA Tournament destination during the 2026 NCAA Men’s Tennis Selection Show, scheduled for Monday, April 27 at 4 p.m. ET on NCAA.com.