Men's tennis qualifies for fall ITA Sectionals

Alcoer and Andres Pastor travel to Athens, Ga. to play in doubles draw

The Troy men’s tennis team wrapped up its 2025 fall season at the ITA Sectional Championships in Athens, Georgia this past Friday.  

The ITA Sectionals are where the top players from the ITA Regions gather into four sections -- East, South, Central, and West -- to compete for a bid to play in the NCAA Championships.  

Troy competed in the 16-team doubles draw, being represented by seniors Luciano Alcocer and Yeray Andres Pastor. The duo entered the competition ready to accept challenges from top teams and represent Troy on the big stage. 

“Qualifying is a testament to Luciano and Yeray for their hard work and education,” said head coach Rolando Vargas. “It’s a very competitive event and a great opportunity to be at one of the best tennis venues.” 

Troy’s duo qualified after a strong fall, including a huge win over the No. 1 overall seeded team from Auburn at the ITA Southern Regional in October. Alcocer and Andres Pastor made a run to the semifinals of the regional before falling to a duo from Alabama. 

The Trojans were looking to earn a bid to the NCAA Championships at the event. However, the top Trojan duo of Alcocer and Ansres Pastor fell 6-2, 6-1 in their first-round matchup against Kentucky’s Eli Stephenson and Jack Loulit, the No. 4 seeded pair in the event. 

In the consolation draw, the pair faced the Auburn Tigers team of Joseph Phillips and Nicholas Heng. Playing a tough match that faced many delays, the Tigers prevailed and won 6-4, 6-4 over the Trojans. 

Despite the unfortunate end to the 2025 season, both Alcocer and Andres Pastor maintained great chemistry with each other throughout their matches, keeping high energy despite the challenges they faced.  

With the fall season complete, the Trojans now look forward to the 2026 spring play. Troy looks to build on a 20-8 record and a Sun Belt Conference Tournament semifinal appearance from last season.