Serving up a Winning Tradition: Islanders Tennis Charts Path to Historic Success
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Success can be hard to define. Many times, it’s in the eye of the beholder. But if you stroll through the university’s Thomas J. Henry Tennis Center, located on Nile Drive, success isn’t hard to miss. It’s captured in the championship banners and player tributes that adorn the courts. It’s a winning tradition built on a set of unwavering core values.
“We call them the four pillars. They come from my grandfather, Paul Laudadio,” said Steve Moore, Head Coach of Islanders Men’s and Women’s Tennis. “Put God and family first, work with an extreme work ethic, do the things you say you’re going to do, and treat people the way you want your children treated. That makes up family, character, grit, and discipline.”
Those pillars helped lay the foundation for the university’s current tennis program which began in 1998 with Coach Moore at the helm of the men’s team. Back then, the courts were located on the university’s main campus, where Island Hall now stands. At the time, there were only two courts, and a hole in the fence which led to the occasional early morning greeting from a fox or opossum. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for Moore, who turned humble surroundings into an asset.
“We had no flash, but we had a bluecollar mentality to sell. We had grit,” Moore said. “We were going to outwork everyone. We tied resistance bands to the hole in the fence so players could get in a strength workout. The springy fence was also perfect for throwing a medicine ball against.”
That hard work would pay off. Both Islanders Men’s and Women’s Tennis have become the winningest programs in Southland Conference history, holding alltime records for NCAA appearances and conference championships. In 2023, both teams made the NCAA Championships; only 29 universities in America had both their men’s and women’s teams at the championships that year. Also, the women made the NCAA Championships four years in a row, from 2021-2024; only 34 Division I schools accomplished this. Coach Moore’s 16 NCAA tournaments and 14 Coach of the Year awards represents the most in conference history for any sport.
“We run the team as one big family,”Moore said. “We practice hard. Our sessions usually go about three and a half hours. But we support each other throughout. We bond. We become family.”
That family atmosphere, and a tradition of winning, has attracted players from all around the world to play at the Island University. Among those players was Carlos Pedrosa ’20, from Spain.
“Coach Moore convinced me to come to TAMU-CC,” Pedrosa said. “He highlighted the character, values, and success of the team.”
Character would come to define Pedrosa’s time with the Islanders. He was a successful singles player, earning Second Team All-Southland Conference during his senior year in 2019. But the toughest opponent he faced that year was his own health when he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
“The doctors told me it was going to be difficult to come back and play at the highest level,” Pedrosa said. “After a week in the hospital, I came back to practice, and after a lot of hard work, I won every conference match.”
Pedrosa’s comeback story had a triumphant conclusion during the finals of the Southland Tournament that year. After being down two sets, he rallied back to win the deciding match and led the men’s team to yet another Southland Title.
“We always say tennis is ‘life in miniature.’ It’s a chance to show your character and your heart,” Moore said. “When you have adversity, do you rise up and grind and work harder? Carlos rose up that day.”
Pedrosa’s triumph that day is forever marked at the Islanders tennis facility where a sign that says “Carlos’ Courage” is hung with pride.
“Having that sign at the courts means a lot to me,” Pedrosa said. “It makes me remember all the great moments with the team and how much I learned through those years.”
The lessons learned from hard work and a winning mentality also caught the attention of Emma Aucagne ’24, ’27, a native of France.
“Before coming to the United States, many people I spoke with told me that the TAMU-CC tennis team was one of the most competitive teams and that the coaches push you to do your best,” Aucagne said. “That’s what I was looking for. That discipline. That structure. People need to be pushed to do their maximum, on and off the court.”
Aucagne quickly made her mark after arriving on campus in 2020, earning Southland Conference Freshman of the Year honors. She continued to dominate and was named Southland Conference Player of the Year both as a sophomore and again in her senior year. Her discipline in the classroom, where she was a criminal justice major, earned her three appearances on the Southland Conference’s All-Academic First Team and she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a perfect 4.0 GPA. She now serves on the Islanders Tennis staff as a graduate assistant coach while she works on a master’s degree in clinical psychology.
“The tennis program taught me to focus on doing everything that matters at 100%,” Aucagne said. “That philosophy allowed me to be where I am today.”
If you ask Coach Moore, academic excellence means more than trophies. His teams have averaged a 3.0 GPA or higher for 43 straight semesters. In the 2023-24 academic year, the women’s team averaged a 4.0 GPA.
“Islanders Tennis excels with highcharacter players who shine in the classroom and are ready for success in the real world,” Moore said. “One of my main mentors was Forrest Gregg, my athletic director when I was at Southern Methodist University. He told me once, ‘Look son, you won’t have time for hobbies as a tennis coach. Your hobby is pouring your life into your athletes and elevating the lives of the kids you coach.’”
And that, he has done.
