TAMPA, Fla. (March 15, 2026) – The South Florida Bulls men's tennis team (4-12) fought hard but came up just short in a 4–3 loss to the No. 70 Rice Owls men's tennis team (8-6) on Sunday morning at the USF Varsity Tennis Courts.

Rice claimed the doubles point to open the match. The Owls took victories at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions to secure the early advantage, despite a strong performance from USF's Timeo Gaillard and Elijah Cham at No. 3 doubles, who earned a 6–3 win over Tommy Czaplinski and Rafael Botran.

The Bulls responded in singles play, winning two back-to-back matches to keep the contest tight throughout the afternoon. Stepan Mruzek put USF on the board with a dominant 6–3, 6–3 victory over Kabeer Kapasi at the No. 3 position. Gughi Verdese followed with an impressive 6–3, 6–1 win against Czaplinski at No. 5 singles.

Rice ultimately secured the team victory with wins at the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 6 singles positions.

Agustin Cuellar delivered another key point for the Bulls at No. 4 singles, battling through a competitive first set before closing out Rafael Botran 7–6, 6–2.

With the narrow loss, South Florida moves to 4–12 on the season while Rice improves to 8–6.
 

About USF Men's Tennis

Be sure to follow USF men's tennis on social media (Twitter / Facebook / Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information.

Head coach Ashley Fisher is in his ninth year at the helm of the program for the 2025-26 season. Fischer has guided the Bulls to four NCAA Tournaments, including three trips to the second round. He was named the American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2017 & 2019 after leading USF to the conference title in each of those seasons.

– #Go Bulls –

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