Pirate tennis sensation Hironori Koyanagi advanced to the national championship match, and the doubles team of Koyanagi and Corey Karen placed third over the weekend at the 2015 United States Tennis Association/Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Small College Championships in Sumpter, SC. Koyanagi ultimately was defeated in his final match, but it did not dim the accomplishments of both players on the national stage.
Koyanagi, the defending California state champion and a two-time winner of the ITA Southern California Championships, came into the draw as the No. 3 seed. He won his first match 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 on Thursday Oct. 15 before upsetting the No. 2 seed 6-4, 6-4 on Friday. He ultimately lost the national championship 6-0, 6-1 to an opponent from Tyler Junior College in Texas on Saturday.
In doubles competition, Koyanagi and Karen were also seeded No. 3. The two-time ITA Southern California regional champions won their their first match Thursday 2-6, 7-6, 10-7 before falling that evening 6-2, 6-2 to the No. 2 seeded duo, also from Tyler Junior College. They came back on Friday to defeat the No. 4 seeded team 6-3, 6-7, 10-5 to claim their third place trophy.