March 29, 2008
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Following Friday's heartbreaking defeat to Harvard, the 48th-ranked San Diego State men's tennis team displayed tremendous resiliency on Saturday, posting a big 5-2 victory over No. 64 UC Santa Barbara in a non-conference dual at the UCSB Recreation Center Courts. The Aztecs (10-6) swept through doubles competition and captured four of six singles contests to halt the Gauchos' (9-5) six-match winning streak.
"I am extremely proud of the way our team bounced back today," said SDSU head coach Gene Carswell. "After yesterday's loss, the overall team attitude was exceptional, and the guys showed a lot of fight and spirit in getting the job done."
The Aztecs set the tone for the rest of the day in doubles action as Bartosz Golas and Juan Gomez breezed past Jack Hui and Philip Therp by an 8-1 count at the No. 1 position. Shortly thereafter, Andre Feliz and Danny Heidecker, who were teamed together for the first time this season, secured the point with an 8-4 triumph over Bijan Hejazi and Nigel Barton in the third slot. Over on the No. 2 court, Achim Ceban and Tim Schulz van Endert kept the foot on the gas as the SDSU tandem recorded its ninth straight win after edging Josh Finkelstein and Alex Konigsfeldt in a truncated tiebreaker, 8-7(5).
Coach Carswell also tinkered with the lineup in singles play, and the results paid off handsomely as the Scarlet and Black claimed the first four matches en route to clinching the team victory. Matan Shitrit got things rolling with a 6-2, 6-1 conquest of Hejazi in the No. 2 position, while Heidecker cruised to his fourth win in a row by dispatching Konigsfeldt, 6-1, 6-3, in the No. 4 slot, giving the visitors an insurmountable 3-0 lead. Over on court No. 1, Golas overcame a one-set deficit to pull away from Therp, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, which drove a stake through any remaining UCSB comeback hopes.
With the outcome no longer in question, Schulz van Endert accounted for the Aztecs' final point of the afternoon after surviving a super-tiebreaker at No. 6 against Taylor Chavez-Goggin, 6-3, 5-7, 10-3, in the freshman's first singles match since March 8. The Gauchos then tacked on two wins to provide for the final score, but they didn't come easy as both encounters were extended to three sets. For the second straight day, Gomez dropped a hard-fought decision after falling to Hui, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(7), in the third spot, while Feliz suffered a similar fate on court No. 5, succumbing to Max Taylor's rally, 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-4.
San Diego State returns to action Wednesday, April 2, when it plays host to Hawai'i in the 2008 home finale at Aztec Tennis Center. Match time is set for 1:30 p.m. PT.
No. 48 SAN DIEGO STATE 5, No. 64 UC SANTA BARBARA 2
UCSB Recreation Center Courts
Santa Barbara, Calif.
Doubles
1. Bartosz Golas / Juan Gomez (SDSU) def. Jack Hui / Philip Therp (UCSB), 8-1
2. Achim Ceban / Tim Schulz van Endert (SDSU) def. Josh Finkelstein / Alex Konigsfeldt (UCSB), 8-7(5)
3. Andre Feliz / Danny Heidecker (SDSU) def. Nigel Barton / Bijan Hejazi (UCSB), 8-4
San Diego State wins doubles point
Singles
1. Bartosz Golas (SDSU) def. Philip Therp (UCSB), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
2. Matan Shitrit (SDSU) def. Bijan Hejazi (UCSB), 6-2, 6-1
3. Jack Hui (UCSB) def. Juan Gomez (SDSU), 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(7)
4. Danny Heidecker (SDSU) def. Alex Konigsfeldt (UCSB), 6-1, 6-3
5. Max Taylor (UCSB) def. Andre Feliz (SDSU), 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-4
6. Tim Schulz van Endert (SDSU) def. Taylor Chavez-Goggin (UCSB), 6-3, 5-7, 10-3^
Order of finish
Doubles: 1, 3, 2
Singles: 2, 4, 1*, 6, 5, 3
*match-clinching victory
^super tie-breaker