Aggies roll past Bulldogs
The last time the Utah State men’s tennis team played Gonzaga University the Aggies dropped a 4-3 heartbreaker.
USU did something about it Thursday afternoon as it swept the Bulldogs, 7-0 at the Sports Academy and Racquet Club — USU’s first victory of the season.
“It’s good to get a win, first of all,” said Aggie Head Coach Chris Wright. “We did a better job managing our time on the court, and coming back after a bad point and reestablishing ourselves on the next one.”
Unlike their previous three matches, the Aggies (1-3) were able to establish themselves from the get-go, capturing all three doubles matches. The Aggies went 7-1 a year ago when picking up the doubles point.
“It’s huge,” said Aggie Jonah Nelson when asked about winning the doubles point. “Last year, I think we only lost one match when we got the doubles point, so it definitely sets the tone.”
In doubles action, USU’s No. 1 tandem of Nelson and Jordan Butler beat Bryce Cooper and Drew Ernst, 8-4, while Ryan Bair and Jacob Jensen won their match over Andy Livingston and Robert Penney, 8-4 as well.
Jason Trask and Butler finished off the sweep as they routed Shaun Whitney and Reid Arthur, 8-2 in the No. 2 spot.
With momentum on its side, USU never looked back, with four Aggies recording their first singles victories of the year — one of them being first-time singles player Jensen.
Jensen, who has played all four matches for USU at No. 3 doubles, earned the chance to play singles against the Zags, Wright said. Bair had manned the position the three previous matches.
“We’ll probably see that throughout the year, different people coming in at six [singles],” he said. “We have good depth. It was just one of those things where Ryan Bair is hitting the ball well, but Jake has been hitting extremely well over the last week.”
Although he said he was a little nervous coming into the match, Jensen played an aggressive style of tennis, picking up a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Penney.
“Yeah, I did that [hit aggressively] when it was important, especially when it got close,” Jensen said.
The other Aggies who picked up their first singles victories of the season were Nelson, Trask and Butler.
Heading into his match against Whitney, Nelson said he wasn’t feeling well, so his plan was to shorten the points against his opponent. He was able to do just that, picking up several free points off of his serve en route to a 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 1 singles.
“[My serve] was definitely my most important shot today,” he said. “I think I kept him off balance all day long.”
Trask, who went a team-best 13-7 last season, picked up his first victory at the No. 2 spot.
Up 3-2 in the first set, Trask hit a backhand passing shot down the line, putting himself in control of the match, and giving himself a 4-2 lead. Trask would roll to a 6-2, 6-2 win over Cooper.
Jordan picked up his first singles victory of the season as he outlasted Arthur, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 in a match Wright said was big for the team.
“It would have taken a lot out of this win had we lost that match,” he said. “[Jordan] did a good job of refocusing and just playing the points.”
USU’s Brandon Butler and Marsh both improved to 2-2 on the season as Butler defeated Ernst 6-3, 6-2 in No. 4 singles, while Marsh thumped Livingston, 6-1, 6-2 at the No. 5 spot.
Perhaps even more important than the victory, Jensen said, is the way the Aggies are starting to gel as a team. With only three players from last year’s team, it just took a little time, he said.
“This is a new team,” he said. “Most of us are new on the team this year, so I think it’s a matter of us getting used to each other, and we’re starting to play well together.”
Utah State will have a week the savor its victory before returning to action Feb. 6 in Pocatello, Idaho against long-time nemesis Idaho State University.
The Bengals and Aggies played three times last season, with USU taking two of the three matches, including a win in Pocatello.
–jasonwturner@cc.usu.edu