Gauchos March Past Cal Poly 5-2 For Big West Title

Santa Barbara Athletics News


Apr 22, 2017





SANTA BARBARA, Calif.- The No. 42 men's tennis team finished out the regular season with a 5-2 victory Saturday over conference rival No. 44 Cal Poly (16-7). The Gauchos, 17-5, push their win streak to 10 games ending season play with a stellar conference record of 5-0.
"This was a big match and it doesn't really get any better," head coach Marty Davis said. "One of the best Cal Poly team's we've faced, it being senior day, and a high-fashioned doubles and singles play throughout."
The Blue-Green rivalry was reignited early on in doubles play. Both teams failed to give an inch to start off the match splitting the first two matches 1-1.
The doubles point came down to the wire on Court 1 between No. 29 Morgan Mays/Simon Freund and No. 55 Corey Pang/Ben Donovan. A back and forth affair between both doubles aces, the Gauchos got the break they needed and Simon Freund finished the deal in dramatic fashion striking a serve past Donovan for the win 7-6.
"We started off doubles a bit rough but hung in there and got an opportunity that we managed to take advantage of," said Simon Freund. "We saved a lot of big points in order to get to the tie-break but they weren't giving it to us easy so we really had to earn it." 
Picking up where they left off, the Gauchos carried the momentum into singles play winning five out of their first six singles sets. Anders Holm took home UCSB's first singles victory of the day cruising past Josh Ortlip 6-1, 6-4.
Cody Rakela helped extend Santa Barbara's lead outing opponent Axel Damiens (6-2, 6-4) and Simon Freund followed suit beating Garrett Auproux (6-1, 6-3) to give UCSB a 4-0 cushion. The Gauchos were officially in control of the match after that with Freund's point.
At a packed and emotionally ...

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