Zags Hang Tough at Saint Mary's
3/29/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Box Score
MORAGA, Calif.—The Gonzaga University men's tennis team hung tough throughout its match against Saint Mary's Saturday, but the Bulldogs ultimately fell in a 4-2 decision against the Gaels in Moraga, Calif.
Redshirt junior Alvaro Nazal picked up his fifth consecutive singles win, needing just two sets to take down the Gaels' Samuel Bloore at No. 1 singles. The Bulldog doubled up Bloore in the first set 6-3, and he got better in the second by taking six of the eight games in the frame. Nazal now has 10 dual singles wins in 2015.
Also getting a W Saturday, Hayden Smith picked up his team-leading 11th singles win of the season. Smith's match on court three was hotly contested. The Bulldog won the first set via a tiebreak at 7-6 (5), but his SMC foe Jacob Lagman took the second 1-6. In the deciding third set, Smith yet again grinded out a tiebreak victory, beating Lagman by four points in the tiebreak for a 7-6 (5), 1-6, 7-6 (3) win in the match.
Saint Mary's won the first singles match to finish, taking a 2-0 match lead after winning the doubles point. At No. 5 singles, Matthew Campana beat Sergio Chip in straight sets, but Nazal's win then gave the Zags their first point of the match. The Gaels got their third point when the match on court six ended with a Vicente Varas loss to James Markiewicz, and Smith's point answered back for the Zags.
SMC clinched the match at No. 4 singles where Vladimir Mijatovic put up a battle against Nash Vollenweider. The Bulldog took the first set via a tiebreak, and Vollenweider did the same in the second. Despite winning four games in the deciding third set, Mijatovic fell in the end to see GU's chance of a win dashed.
One match was halted when No. 4 singles was finished, the contest on court two between Nick Kamisar and Thomas Hunt. Both players had won one set apiece, and the two were seven games into the second when the match was stopped.
The Gaels won both singles matches to finish, picking up 6-4 wins at both Nos. 2 and 3 doubles. Atop the singles lineup, Mijatovic and Smith were tied 5-5 with Bloore and Hunt when their contest was halted.
Gonzaga (9-6, 1-3 WCC) will return to Spokane for its final homestand of the season. They start the three-game stretch in The Stevens Center on Saturday, April 4, when the Zags host Pacific Northwest rival Portland. The match against the Pilots will start at 12:00 p.m.
