Hawai'i
No. 64 Cal Poly Opens Big West Play With Sweep of Hawai'i
3/30/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Successive road victories last week provided the 64th-ranked Cal Poly men's tennis team with momentum heading into its Big West Conference opener against Hawai'i, something that was utilized loud and clear on Monday afternoon. The Mustangs swept the Rainbow Warriors, 7-0 at Mustang Courts, improving to 12-7 overall this season and 1-0 in Big West play. Cal Poly did not concede one set during the afternoon's battle.
"This is a really nice way to begin the conference season – winning like this at home," head coach Nick Carless said.
The Cal Poly freshman tandem of Lucas Lesoeur and Karl Enander (pictured) used a 6-1 decision over Chas Okamoto and Kula Companion at No. 3 doubles and sophomores Ben Donovan and Corey Pang combined on a 6-2 win over UH's Carter Lam and Marcel Chan in the first position to provide the Mustangs with the doubles point and kick-started the aggressive start by Cal Poly.
"We set an aggressive tone early on in doubles this afternoon against Hawai'i," Carless replied. "That momentum carried over into singles for us."
Cal Poly freshman Axel Damiens won his third consecutive match overall with a two-set ousting of Fabian Woehrl (6-4, 6-0) in the sixth position, while senior Naveen Beasley defeated UH's Joakim Pinola at No. 5 in straight sets (6-2, 6-1) to grab his third successive singles win. Damiens improved to 8-2 at No. 6 this season, while Beasley added to his already sparkling fifth position resume (now 7-2).
With the Mustangs leading 3-0, Donovan clinched the match for Cal Poly with a victory (6-1, 6-0) over Nils Schuhmann at No. 1, upping his record to 11-6 in the first position this season and is now 16-11 overall.
Cal Poly's Pang collected his third straight win with a two-set defeat (6-2, 6-2) of Lam at No. 3, providing the Mustang sophomore with his thirteenth singles victory of the season overall (13-11). Lesoeur then downed Chan (6-2, 6-4) at No. 4, which improved the freshman's fourth position record to 4-4 this season.
Cal Poly led 6-0 when sophomore Garrett Auproux used a straight set (7-5, 6-4) decision over Okamoto in the second position, providing the final piece to the Mustang win. Auproux improved his overall record this season to 16-10 and now boasts an 11-4 record at No. 2.
With Cal Poly Alumni Weekend on tap for the Mustangs during their next two matches, Carless was ecstatic about the way his team continued to control the momentum early and use it to his team's advantage.
"We are all looking forward to our next match against UC Irvine," Carless added. "With all of our alumni coming into town this weekend, it makes these next home matches that much more intense."
Cal Poly (12-7) hosts No. 75 UC Irvine at 1 p.m. on Friday at Mustang Courts, with a meet-and-greet with the men's tennis team scheduled after the match. A social at Luna Red in San Luis Obispo will cap off the first day of Alumni Weekend. Use this LINK for complete information regarding the Cal Poly tennis program's Alumni Weekend.
Singles
1. Ben Donovan (CP) def. Nils Schuhmann (UH) 6-1, 6-0
2. Garrett Auproux (CP) def. Chas Okamoto (UH) 7-5, 6-4
3. Corey Pang (CP) def. Carter Lam (UH) 6-2, 6-2
4. Lucas Lesoeur (CP) def. Marcel Chan (UH) 6-2, 6-4
5. Naveen Beasley (CP) def. Joakim Pinola (UH) 6-2, 6-1
6. Axel Damiens (CP) def. Fabian Woehrl (UH) 6-4, 6-0
Doubles
1. Ben Donovan/Corey Pang (CP) def. Carter Lam/Marcel Chan (UH) 6-2
2. Devin Barber/Garrett Auproux (CP) vs. Nils Schuhmann/Joakim Pinola (UH) unfinished
3. Lucas Lesoeur/Karl Enander (CP) def. Chas Okamoto/Kula Companion (UH) 6-1
