Loyola Marymount
Cal Poly Men's Tennis Downs LMU For First Home Win of 2020
2/15/2020 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The Cal Poly men's tennis team picked up its first home win of the 2020 season on Saturday, topping Loyola Marymount 4-3 at Mustang Tennis Complex.
With the win, the Mustangs (2-5) snap a five-match losing streak while handing the Lions (3-2) their second loss of the season.
Cal Poly started the match with a strong doubles showing. The No. 3 pairing of juniors Roman Shenkiryk and Andrew Whitehouse (pictured) got things going with a 6-1 win to move them to 2-0 as a duo this season. The Mustangs' No. 2 tandem of freshman Fernando Fonseca and sophomore Gary Vardanyan clinched the doubles point with a 6-3 to move them to 5-2 together this season.
In singles, Vardanyan gave Cal Poly a 2-0 lead after a strong 6-1, 6-1 victory at the No. 4 position. He is now a team-best 4-2 in singles this season.
LMU then won the next two singles matches at the No. 2 and No. 6 spots to tie the match before Cal Poly senior Antoine Noel came back after dropping the first set of his match at the No. 1 position to win it in three sets, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. Noel is now 3-4 on the year.
The match was clinched by junior Alex Stater after won his match at the No. 5 spot in three sets, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2. Stater is now 2-2 in singles this season. LMU's later got a win at the No. 6 position to make the final score 4-3 Mustangs.
Cal Poly will wrap up its four match homestand next Sunday, Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. against Pacific.
Photo courtesy of Kyle Calzia, Mustang News
