PORTLAND, Ore. -- Lewis & Clark College men's tennis opened its Northwest Conference campaign with back-to-back 7-0 victories over Willamette University in a rare doubleheader at the L&C Tennis Dome on Saturday.
THE BASICS
Lewis & Clark 7, Willamette 0
Lewis & Clark 7, Willamette 0
(Lewis & Clark 5-1, 2-0 NWC)
(Willamette 0-2, 0-2 NWC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Eleven Pioneers earned at least one win in both singles and doubles play against the Bearcats. Seniors
Bennett Gazor and
Matt Chio went 3-0 on the day, with Gazor earning two singles wins and one in doubles, while Chio recorded one singles victory and two in doubles.
Junior
Spencer Loucks was one of five Lewis & Clark players making their official NWC dual debut. He teamed up with Chio at No. 2 doubles before competing in No. 4 singles. First-years
Charlie Kowatch and
Arnav Bishnoi, along with sophomore
Bridger Galyardt, also made their NWC debuts, while sophomore
Max Furman played his first NWC singles match after competing in doubles last season.
FIRST MATCH RECAP
Lewis & Clark set the tone early in doubles play. Juniors
Kai Wills and
Wade McDermott secured a 6-2 victory at No. 1 doubles over Zack Olander and Hudson Snyder. Chio and Loucks followed with a dominant 6-0 win against Baily Livengood and Luca Casano at No. 2 doubles, while Gazor and Galyardt completed the sweep with a 6-4 triumph over AJ Avansino and Andre Lief.
The Pioneers continued their sweep in singles, winning all six matches in straight sets. Sophomore
Noah Sutin led the way at No. 1 singles, defeating Avansino 6-3, 6-3. McDermott secured a 7-5, 6-2 win at second singles against Snyder, while Wills earned a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Olander at No. 3 singles.
Gazor dominated his No. 4 singles match with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Adam Son. Kowatch controlled the fifth flight with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Livengood, and Furman completed the sweep at No. 6 singles with a decisive 6-0, 6-1 win over Lief.
SECOND MATCH RECAP
The Pioneers carried their momentum into the second match, again sweeping doubles play. The sophomore duo of Sutin and
Joey Lyon set the tone at No. 1 doubles with a commanding 6-0 victory over Olander and Snyder. Chio and Bishnoi followed with a 6-1 win against Casano and Livengood at No. 2 doubles, while Kowatch and Furman clinched the doubles point with a 6-2 victory over
Avansino and Lief.
Lewis & Clark continued its dominance in singles. Lyon controlled No. 1 with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Avansino, while Chio earned a 6-1, 6-2 victory at second singles against Snyder. Bishnoi followed with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Olander at No. 3 singles.
The final three singles matches served up a half dozen bagels, as Loucks, Gazor, and Galyardt each recorded 6-0, 6-0 victories at No. 4, No. 5, and No. 6 singles, respectively.
BY THE NUMBERS
- During the first dual, Bishnoi and Kowatch defeated Willamette's Jake Freeland and Kai Morgan 6-0 in an exhibition doubles match.
- Gazor dropped just one game in two singles matches.
- The Pioneers extended their winning streak to 20 matches against Willamette.
WHO'S NEXT
Lewis & Clark continues NWC play on Sunday, hosting Pacific University at 11 a.m. at the L&C Tennis Dome.
