Aggie tennis escapes Wildcats’ claws
The Utah State men’s tennis team butted heads with the Weber State Wildcats for the second time this year, duplicating the result on the road with a 5-2 win on Tuesday.
“Today wasn’t the best match for us, but we found a way to fight through it,” said Sven Poslusny, first-year assistant coach under head coach Clancy Shields. “The guys fought for every ball. We just found a way to win against them.”
Weber State struck first in doubles, putting the Aggies in an early 0-1 hole.
However, USU seniors Fredrik Peterson and Andrew Whiting tied things up by defeating James Smith and Todd Fought 8-4. Dennis Baumgartner and Marcus Fritz of USU defeated WSU’s Sanjay Goswami and Oliver Good, 8-7, in a tight match. After winning the doubles point, the Aggies shifted their sights to downing the Wildcats in singles play.
Marcus Fritz finished first in singles and boosted the Aggies to a 2-0 team lead after he won in straight sets 6-3, 7-5 against Ciao Poitena. Weber put its first team points on the board when Oliver Good defeated Fredrik Peterson 6-3, 6-2.
The comeback wouldn’t last long as Dennis Baumgartner won in straight sets against two-time Big Sky Athlete of the Week Todd Fought.
USU’s Matt Sweet then came back from being down 5-2 in the second set to win 6-3, 7-5 in straight sets. This clinched the match for the Aggies, pushing the total team score to 4-1.
“I started off strong, then got down and battled back in the second to win 7-5,” said Sweet, who clinched the team win for the second time this season. “It feels good, but it’s a team effort. I wouldn’t be able to clinch the match if other guys didn’t step up.”
Sebastian Schneider was also able to win in two close sets, 7-6, 6-3 over Sanjay Goswami, adding the fifth and final point for the Aggies. Weber State put one more win in their column when Ryan Garner defeated Aggie freshman Tomas Cosmai, 7-6, 6-4.
USU will be on the road to take on Boise State at 10 a.m. on April 5 in the Aggies’ second Mountain West Conference match this year. It is also head coach Clancy Shields’ first time facing his former team after serving as an assistant coach at BSU for the last four years.
“Boise is the best team in our conference right now, so it’s definitely a challenge. We have a small chance, but the chance is there,” Poslusny said. “The guys just need to go and grab it and have no fear.”
– kalen.taylor@aggiemail.usu.edu