On February 28th, Jesuit Varsity tennis traveled to College Station to compete for a Private School State Championship. Jesuit, paired with Ursuline, went into the tournament the number 3 seed and finished with three wins and one loss, securing third place for the second year in a row.
Round of 16: Jesuit/Ursuline vs. St. Dominic Savio (Win 11-1)
At 8 AM on Friday, the Ranger-Bears kicked off the tournament against St. Dominic Savio. The Ranger-Bears triumphed in dominant fashion, only suffering one loss out of 12 matches. From the start, Jesuit and Ursuline controlled the courts, going 4-1 in doubles with two shutout victories. The Ranger-Bears built off of this momentum, sweeping all 7 singles matches, not dropping a set. Senior Carson Voegtle shared the following thoughts on the match:
“I was very really happy with how the team played. this gave us good momentum moving forward against tougher competition.”
Sophomore Van Davidson – Photo from William Wayne
Singles Results:
Van Davidson ’28 (6-0, 6-0) Mark Scucchi ’27 (6-1, 6-3) Carson Voegtle ’26 (6-1, 6-1) Reid McCord ’29 (6-1, 3-1, inc.) Ella Brauer (6-0, 6-0) Marie Therese Ducayet (6-0, 6-3) Audrey Harrison (6-0, 6-0) Reagan McKay (6-0, 6-0)
Doubles Results:
Van Davidson ’28 and Erin Gan-Dy (6-0, 6-0) William Wayne ’26 and Augustus Chu ’28 (4-6, 6-3, 7-10) Luke Nettune ’26 and Xavier Horler ’28 (6-3, 7-6 (7-4)) Catherine Hochman and Marie Therese Ducayet (6-1, 6-0) AnnaGrace Shuford and Mihika Gupta (6-0, 6-0)
Quarterfinals: Jesuit/Ursuline vs. John Cooper (Win 7-3)
Following their win against St. Dominic Savio, Jesuit/Ursuline was up against The John Cooper School, who had just come off a dominant 9-0 sweep against Cornerstone Christian. This matchup was bound to be more difficult, as both teams looked to advance to the semifinals. In the beginning, the match was neck and neck, with Jesuit/Ursuline leading John Cooper in the doubles 3-2. However, the Ranger-Bears dominated the singles courts yet again, with a record of 4-1 to advance to the semifinals.
Junior Mark Scucchi – Photo from William Wayne
Singles Results:
Van Davidson ’28 (6–3, 6–0) Mark Scucchi ’27 (6–2, 6–2) Augustus Chu ’28 (3–6, 2–3, inc.) William Wayne ’26 (1–1, inc.) Erin Gan-Dy (6–2, 4–6, ret. inj.) Catherine Hochman (4–6, 1–6) Ella Brauer (7–6 (7–4), 6–2)
Doubles Results:
Van Davidson ’28 and Erin Gan-Dy (6–2, 6–3) William Wayne ’26 and Augustus Chu ’28 (4–6, 6–4, 7–10) Xavier Horler ’28 and Carson Voegtle ’26 (5–7, 6–7 (4–7)) Catherine Hochman and Marie Therese Ducayet (1–6, 6–3, 11–9) AnnaGrace Shuford and Mihika Gupta (7–6 (7–4), 6–1)
Semifinals: Jesuit/Ursuline vs. St. John’s (Loss 4-7)
Heading into the semifinals, Jesuit/Ursuline was up against St. John’s, the tournament’s number 1 seed and the defending champions. This match was high-stakes for the Ranger-Bears as they looked to avenge their loss previous to St. John’s and advance to the finals for the first time in program history. The match started in the Ranger-Bears’ favor, with a 3-2 record in doubles to start the match. However, St. John’s regained control of the courts, with a 5-1 singles record advancing them to the finals to help them claim their second consecutive title. Sophomore and line 1 singles player Van Davidson gave the following words post defeat:
“aLTHOUGH WE LOST THIS Match we competed hard as a team and it was a good experience to learn from.”
Sophomore Xavier Horler – Photo from William Wayne
Singles Results:
Van Davidson ’28 (5–7, 1–6) Mark Scucchi ’27 (1–6, 3–6) Augustus Chu ’28 (0–6, 0–6) Carson Voegtle ’26 (2–6, 2–6) Erin Gan-Dy (2–6, 3–6) Catherine Hochman (6–4, 6–2) Ella Brauer (3–6, 4–5, inc.) Mihika Gupta (6–2, 2–2, inc.)
Doubles Results:
Van Davidson ’28 and Erin Gan-Dy (6–0, 6–0) William Wayne ’26 and Augustus Chu ’28 (0–6, 3–6) Xavier Horler ’28 and Luke Nettune ’26 (3–6, 2–6) Catherine Hochman and Marie Therese Ducayet (6–3, 6–3) AnnaGrace Shuford and Mihika Gupta (6–2, 6–4)
Third Place Match: Jesuit/Ursuline vs. Strake Jesuit/St. Agnes (Win 7-4)
Heading into the final match of the tournament, Jesuit/Ursuline were up against the number 2 seeded Strake Jesuit/St. Agnes. Losing to Strake earlier in the season, Jesuit came into this match extra motivated to even the score. The match began with a 3-2 Jesuit/Ursuline lead heading into singles. However, Jesuit/Ursuline’s superior fitness prevailed as they controlled the singles courts with a record of 4-2 to secure a third-place finish. Sophomore Xavier Horler provided the following thoughts post tournament:
“It was super cool to place in the top three for two years in a row. it proves we belong with the best in texas.”
Sophomore Van Davidson (left) Junior Erin Gan-Dy (right)
Singles Results:
Van Davidson ’28 (4–3, ret. inj.) Mark Scucchi ’27 (1–6, 3–6) Augustus Chu ’28 (1–6, 3–6) Erin Gan-Dy (6–0, 6–0) Ella Brauer (7–6, 7–3, 6–0) Mihika Gupta (6–1, 6–2) Marie Therese Ducayet (6–1, 1–0, inc.)
Doubles Results:
Van Davidson ’28 and Erin Gan-Dy (6–1, 6–1) William Wayne ’26 and Augustus Chu’28 (2–6, 1–6) Xavier Horler ’28 and Luke Nettune ’26 (1–6, 1–6) Catherine Hochman and Marie Therese Ducayet (6–1, 6–3) AnnaGrace Shuford and Mihika Gupta (6–0, 6–0)
In the end, Jesuit/Ursuline finished with a record of 3-1, securing third place for the second consecutive year and proving that they are among the best teams in the state. These consistently strong results embody the team’s hard work and dedication, showing that Jesuit Tennis should not be overlooked.
