Cheney, Wash. - The Eastern Washington University men's tennis team played a dominant all-around match against Big Sky Conference opponent Portland State, on Saturday, Feb. 20, taking the victory 6-1.
With the win Eastern improves to 6-2 in its dual season and 3-0 in league play, as it has now won three matches in a row.
The doubles competition started well, with the explosive tandem of junior Robert Dula and freshman Victor Pereira securing the team's first win, 6-3, over Brent Wheeler and Ethan Lopez in the No. 1 spot. EWU clinched the doubles point in the next match with the pairing of junior Wacil Bendjelti and sophomore Vuk Vuckovic taking down Scott Goldner and Ian Risenhoover, 6-4.
Bendjelti opened the singles competition with a straight set victory, 6-4, 6-4, over Lopez. In the No. 1 position, Robert Dula continues to wreak havoc on the conference, defeating the previously unbeaten Nathan Boniel, in a match full of intense rallies. After dropping the first set 4-6, Dula came back strong, winning the next two sets 6-4, 7-5. Pereira has started to make a name for himself as a freshman, taking down Goldner in three sets, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Head Coach Steve Clark said "Victor played the best he has played all year, and I think this will propel him into other areas of his game, rising a notch or two."
Finishing simultaneously with Pereira, senior Eduardo Bringold clinched the team's victory on a powerful, overhead shot, sealing his match 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, over Wheeler. With the match fully clinched in the Eagles' favor, junior Rendell Burghart ended the contest on a high note, beating Risenhoover 4-6, 6-1, 1-0 (10-4).
Coach Clark on his teams' performance, "while numbers do not mean much to me because what matters is who we have played, how we have played, and where we are in the process of getting better. For example we were not 6-1 because we did not finish where we needed to losing a close 3-4. But today, we made progress on many fronts by playing better, and better in the crunch taking down Portland State 6-1."
Leading Eastern thus far has been Robert Dula, who won last week's Big Sky player of the week. In duals, Dula is off to a perfect 8-0 start, and 3-0 in conference. Paired with teammate Victor Pereira, they are 6-1 in doubles play.
Up next the Eagles will play at SMU on Friday, Feb. 26, starting at 3 p.m. PST.
Results:
Eastern Washington - 6
Portland State – 1
Doubles:
1. DULA, Robert/PEREIRA, Victor (EWU) def. WHEELER, Brent/LOPEZ, Ethan (PSU) 6-3
2. VUCKOVIC, Vuk/BENDJELTI, Wacil (EWU) def. RISENHOOVER, Ian/GOLDNER, Scott (PSU) 6-4
3. BONIEL, Nathan/COCHRANE, Wil (PSU) def. BURGHART, Rendell/NESS, Luke (EWU) 6-3
Singles:
1. DULA, Robert (EWU) def. BONIEL, Nathan (PSU) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5
2. PEREIRA, Victor (EWU) def. GOLDNER, Scott (PSU) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
3. BRINGOLD, Eduardo (EWU) def. WHEELER, Brent (PSU) 7-5, 2-6, 6-3
4. BENDJELTI, Wacil (EWU) def. LOPEZ, Ethan (PSU) 6-4, 6-4
5. COCHRANE, Wil (PSU) def. VUCKOVIC, Vuk (EWU) 6-2, 3-6, 1-0 (10-5)
6. BURGHART, Rendell (EWU) def. RISENHOOVER, Ian (PSU) 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-4)
