“Tonight was an intense battle with a really good team,” said head coach Adam Reeb. “We played our hearts out and I couldn’t be prouder of the guys. We played an aggressive set of doubles matches and set the tone for singles, which is something we hadn’t done well previously. Connor [Leahy] and Michael [Schoettler] had nice singles wins and Ian [Clare] and Matt [Alderson] played well too and came so close. Matt battled to the very end and I couldn’t be prouder of his effort. It’s disappointing to lose such a heartbreaker, but every member of the team gave every ounce they had tonight, and that’s all I can ask for. We’ve got to recover now and get ready for a good George Fox team at home tomorrow evening.”
After taking two of three doubles wins to earn the first point, the Vikings took a 2-1 lead with wins in the first two singles matches to finish.
Michael Schoettler (Tacoma, Wash.) and Connor Leahy (Portland, Ore.) regained the Redhawk lead, 3-2, winning the next two in the No. 3 and No. 6 spots. Schoettler won a hard-fought three-set match while Leahy was able to handily defeat Ian Risenhoover with a straight sets victory.
In a pair of three-set matches in the No. 1 and No. 5 spots, Portland State was able to earn the final pair of singles victories to earn the 4-3 win.
The Redhawks remain home and close their weekend of competition vs. George Fox at 5 p.m. at the Tennis Center at Sand Point. Next weekend, SU men’s tennis plays a pair of matches in Pocatello, Idaho before returning home for a five-match homestand.
Results: Portland State 4, Seattle U 3
Doubles Results
No. 1 – Brent Wheeler/Ethan Lopez (PSU) def. Tanner Berkabile/Matt Alderson (SU), 7-5
No. 2 – John Stormans/Connor Leahy (SU) def. Ian Risenhoover/Scott Goldner (PSU), 6-4
No. 3 – Ian Clare/Michael Schoettler (SU) def. Nathan Boniel/Wil Cochrane (PSU), 7-5
Order of Finish: 2,1,3
Singles Results
No. 1 – Nathan Boniel (PSU) def. Ian Clare (SU), 6-4, 2-6, 6-2
No. 2 – Scott Goldner (PSU) def. John Stormans (SU), 6-4, 6-1
No. 3 – Michael Schoettler (SU) def. Brent Wheeler (PSU), 6-3, 1-6, 6-2
No. 4 – Ethan Lopez (PSU) def. Tanner Berkabile (SU), 6-4, 6-2
No. 5 – Wil Cochrane (PSU) def. Matt Alderson (SU), 4-6, 7-5, 6-4
No. 6 – Connor Leahy (SU) def. Ian Risenhoover (PSU), 6-3, 6-3
Order of Finish: 4,2,3,6,1,5