In a tense day of high-pressure matches, Alamo Heights pulled out more tight victories to get past A&M Consolidated at the UIL state team tennis tournament Wednesday.

Five of the matches went to a 10-point super tiebreaker, and Alamo Heights won four of them, allowing the Mules to advance to the Class 5A championship with a 10-8 win over the hometown Tigers.

"The last three matches on were real close," Consol coach Daniel Marshall said. "The last match could have gone either way."

Grace Corrier earned Consol's only victory in girls singles by fighting off Jane Wright 12-10 in the super tiebreaker after losing the first set 7-5. With no margin for error because a loss would have eliminated Consol, she mixed her spins nicely to gain an advantage.

"Toward the end when it got really close, I started to get more nervous," Corrier said. "This is for my team. I need to get this for my team. That was how I got through it, just thinking about everyone else."

Corrier's pressure-packed victory kept the Tigers alive, but Alamo Heights clinched the team victory minutes later, leaving the Tigers' Andrew Pham and Alamo Heights' Rafael Schulze on the court unfinished.

In the deciding match, Bella Nguyen personified the Tigers' fight and disappointment. Nguyen rallied from a 5-0 deficit in the 10-point super tiebreaker only to lose to Alamo Heights standout Fiona Crawley 11-9.

Nguyen won the opening set 6-4 with a brilliant display of groundstroke wizardry. Crawley was magnificent in the second set to claim a 6-3 victory then built the early lead in the super tiebreaker. The fiery Nguyen clawed her way back into the super tiebreaker and earned two match points before Crawley prevailed to get the Mules into the final.

"Bella played fantastic," Consol coach Daniel Marshall said of his No. 1 girls singles player. "[Crawley] is unbelievable. She's in the top five in Texas. Bella had two match points on her. If we convert that, then Andrew is out three fighting for us to win."

Nguyen broke down in tears and in pain because of leg cramps after the loss near where the Tigers later received bronze medals for the third straight year at state.

"[Crawley] is a very great player," Nguyen said. "I know her from tournaments all over Texas, and I've never gotten this close to her before. I felt like during the match faith is what got me through. When my legs were taken, my heart was getting it going."

Nguyen played a stellar match earlier in mixed doubles with teammate Tory Templin, moving within a game of winning with a well-timed dropped volley. They held on to win 6-1, 6-3 over James Taylor and Emma Reeves.

It was one of several moments that showed Consol had enough talent and tenacity to get past Alamo Heights. The Tigers led 4-3 after doubles and won three of five boys singles matches that reached completion.

"I knew it was going to be a competitive match and knew we were going have a chance to win," Marshall said. "We certainly did, but it didn't go our way this time. It made it tough, because I knew we could have been in the championship."

Still, it seemed like a significant step from a 10-0 loss to Grapevine a year ago.

"It is and we're young," Marshall said. "We have a lot of young players. We lose a couple of key players, but we have a lot of good players on the team [returning next year]."

Consol's Luke Hudson earned a 6-4, 6-2 win over Will Walsh, able to ignore Walsh's profane running commentary throughout the match, most of which was directed at himself.

"I would never get hot like that myself," Hudson said. "When they see you keep your cool and keep going, it really messes with their head."

Hudson took charge midway though the first set and hit a smash down the left line effectively throughout. Walsh slammed his racquet into the court, smashing it when Hudson put the match away.

Joey Tindall and Josh Roselius both won their singles and doubles matches for the Tigers.

Tindall teamed with Pham for a 6-3, 6-3 win over Drew Benedikt and Jared Williams. Tindall then beat Williams 6-3, 6-2 in singles.

Roselius partnered with Ross Villanueva in a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Spencer Raines and Schulze. Roselius then beat Benedikt 6-0, 6-2 in singles play.

Reeves had a gutsy performance for Alamo Heights on the third line in girls singles. Reeves suffered an injury during her match against Lily Taylor and had her right ankle taped, significantly restricting her lateral movement. Reeves played well, though, and won 6-1, 6-3 despite Taylor's savvy strategy of alternating short and long shots that put Reeves on the run.

Consol won three of the five boys singles matches that reached completion.

Alamo Heights will face Highland Park in the championship match set for 11:30 a.m. Thursday at the Mitchell Tennis Center. The Scots dispatched defending champion Grapevine 10-3.

Kaufman and Abilene Wylie will meet in the 4A final. Kaufman defeated Wharton 10-6, and Abilene Wylie beat Boerne 12-2.

In 6A, Houston Memorial outlasted Austin Westlake 10-9 and will face Plano West, a 10-4 winner over Katy Seven Lakes, in the championship.

Alamo Heights 10, A&M Consolidated 8

Class 5A state semifinals

Wednesday at Omar Smith Tennis Center

Boys singles

Campbell Erwin, Alamo Heights, def. Tory Templin, Consol, 6-4, 6-0

Luke Hudson, Consol, def. Will Walsh, Alamo Heights, 6-4, 6-2

James Taylor, Alamo Heights, def. Josh Prochaska, Consol, 1-6, 6-2, 10-5

Rafael Schulze, Alamo Heights def. Andrew Pham, Consol, DNF

Joey Tindall, Consol, def. Jared Williams, Alamo Heights, 6-3, 6-2

Josh Roselius, Consol, def. Drew Benedikt, Alamo Heights, 6-0, 6-2

Girls singles

Fiona Crawley, Alamo Heights, def. Bella Nguyen, Consol, 4-6, 6-3, 11-9

Brittany Wilbur, Alamo Heights, def. Natalia Cruz-Vespa, Consol, 6-0, 6-0

Emma Reeves, Alamo Heights, def. Lily Taylor, Consol, 6-1, 6-3

Grace Corrier, Consol, def. Jane Wright, Alamo Heights, 5-7, 6-1, 12-10

Isabel Candelario, Alamo Heights, def. Hannah Tindall, Consol, 6-3, 1-6, 10-5

Kendall Hunt, Alamo Heights, def. Darce Markowsky, Consol, 6-2, 6-1

Boys doubles

Campbell Erwin & Will Walsh, Alamo Heights, def. Luke Hudson & Josh Prochaska, Consol, 6-1, 6-0

Andrew Pham & Joey Tindall, Consol, def. Drew Benedikt & Jared Williams, Alamo Heights, 6-3, 6-3

Josh Roselius & Ross Villanueva, Consol, def. Spencer Raines & Rafael Schulze, Alamo Heights, 6-2, 6-4

Girls doubles

Fiona Crawley & Brittany Wilbur, Alamo Heights, def. Grace Corrier & Darce Markowsky, Consol, 6-0, 6-0

Kendall Hunt & Kaylin Thompson, Alamo Heights, def. Natalie Cruz-Vespa & Neha Gopal, Consol, 6-2, 4-6, 10-6

Lily Taylor & Hannah Tindall, Consol, def. Isabel Candelario & Emily-Rose Gottsman, Alamo Heights, 6-4, 6-2

Mixed doubles

Tory Templin & Bella Nguyen, Consol, def. James Taylor & Emma Reeves, Alamo Heights, 6-1, 6-3