late start doesn’t faze Aggies
If the Utah State University men’s tennis team needed any additional motivation to show no mercy against Portland State University Friday in Logan, the Vikings were quick to supply it.
In a match that was delayed from its 1 p.m. start time when Portland State missed its Friday morning flight to Salt Lake City, the Aggies wasted little time when the Vikings arrived in Logan as USU won all six of its singles matches en route to a 7-0 shutout of PSU at the Sports Academy and Racquet Club.
“I was pleased with the way we went out there and conducted ourselves without showing [any] negativity,” Aggie Head Coach Chris Wright said.
Earlier in the day, Wright said he received a call from what he said was an embarrassed PSU head coach, telling him a couple of players had slept in, thus causing the Vikings to miss their flight. By the time Portland State arrived in Logan just after 4:30 p.m., USU assistant coach Jevin West said the Aggies were even more fired up to play.
“In this case our players remained really focused,” he said. “In this particular case I think it got us even more motivated to play.”
Motivated they were as USU won four of the singles matches in convincing fashion. The Aggies won the No. 6 spot by default when the Vikings traveled only five players.
Because the Aggies were able to finish all of their singles matches fairly quick, the teams decided to play doubles – something both coaches were not sure would take place, Wright said. Although USU went 1-1 in doubles play, it won the doubles point because PSU didn’t have enough players to have the No. 3 doubles match.
Both Wright and West have been stressing the willingness of the Aggie players to dictate the tempo of the game this year. Aggressive play was a huge factor in the matches’ outcome, West said.
“All of them [the USU players] were dictating tempo,” he said. “If you didn’t know who the players were in the matches, you could tell the Aggies were in control.”
The Aggies got off to a strong start in singles with the No. 2 through 5 players winning in straight sets. Jordan Butler (No. 4) and Sam Harris (No. 5) posted shutouts, thumping Mark Simpson and Cody Hoversland, respectively, 6-0, 6-0.
Clayton Thomas (No. 2) and Jason Trask (No. 3) also recorded decisive victories, routing Tanner Gates and Chuck Haselwood. Thomas beat Gates, 6-1, 6-1, while Trask defeated Haselwood, 6-1, 6-2.
Butler, victorious in his last three singles matches, said the team is continuing to peak and is playing its best tennis of the year.
“[In] the last four or five matches, I’ve been playing better and I think the team has, too,” Butler said. “I think it all started with the Weber State match [March 6], and we have rededicated ourselves ever since.”
In the No. 1 singles match, Aggie Andy Madersbacher jumped out to a quick lead on Viking Kapil Desai, and was in position to serve for the match at 6-2, 5-3. Kapil would respond winning four consecutive games to even the match at one set apiece.
At this point, both coaches decided the two players would play a super tiebreaker to decide the third set (the first person to 10 points, win by two in tiebreaker format).
Madersbacher was up to the task, ripping a backhand winner down the line on match point, giving the senior the 6-2, 5-7, (10-5)
victory.
In doubles play, Madersbacher and Thomas defeated Gates and Haselwood, 8-3, while PSU’s Desai and Simpson edged Butler and Harris, 8-6.
Perhaps most important, Wright said, has been USU’s ability to keep its emotions in check over the last couple of matches.
“I think since then [the March 6 Weber State match] we’ve done a good job focusing on our own game,” he said. “The players have shown some good maturity. Hopefully, it will continue on Wednesday [against Idaho State].”