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LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Another close loss stung the Portland State men's tennis team Monday, as the Vikings opened a three-match trip to Las Vegas for spring break with a 4-3 loss to Mesa Community College at the Darling Tennis Center.
 
The Vikings have now lost three of their last four matches by 4-3 scores, while five of their eight matches overall this season have come by 4-3 or 5-2 scores.
 
Doubles cost the Vikings (5-8) against the Thunderbirds (6-1) Monday, as the Vikings lost what proved to be a decisive doubles point before the teams split their six singles matches later on.
 
The Vikings shuffled their doubles lineup around for their match against the Thunderbirds, as sophomore Ethan Lopez and junior Brent Wheeler played their first match at line one all season. Lopez and Wheeler lost 6-3 to Mesa's Max Wightman and Harry Busby in their line-one debut, the same score by which senior Stuart Tierney and junior Nate Chart, who were playing their first match together all season, lost to Mesa's Andy Nguyen and Vitalli Kotelianets at line three.
 
The Vikings' one constant in doubles proved to be their one winner, as juniors Wil Cochrane and Matt Pronesti won their seventh match of the season at line two. Cochrane and Pronesti beat Mesa's Nick Silvestri and Kevin McMahon in a tiebreaker Monday, moving their record together in tiebreakers to 3-0.
 
Meanwhile, in singles, the Vikings could not make up the early deficit, as the Thunderbirds and Vikings split their six singles matches. The three singles wins for the Thunderbirds wrapped up the match for the team, though the Vikings till recorded a couple of notable wins.
 
Cochrane won in his season debut at line three, a spot which has given the Vikings trouble all season. The Vikings entered their match against the Thunderbirds with a 3-9 overall record at line three, but Cochrane proved up for the task, beating Mesa's Nick Silvestri in a close match, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
 
Wheeler, meanwhile, snapped a recent cold spell with his win at line five for the Vikings. Wheeler had won just once in his last seven matches, but came through against Mesa's Andy Nguyen Monday, beating Nguyen in a match tiebreaker for a 7-5, 5-7, 1-0 (10-5) win.
 
Tierney then gave the Vikings their third singles win, as he beat Mesa's Max Wightman 6-4, 6-4 at line two. Tierney has now won four of his five matches at line two, where the Vikings have had great success all season, going 8-5 overall as a team.
 
The Vikings will now look to bounce back as they return to the Darling Tennis Center in Las Vegas for a match against Grand Canyon University Tuesday at 9 a.m. (PT).

Mesa Community College 4, Portland State 3
Mar 23, 2015 at Las Vegas, Nev. (Darling Tennis Center) 

Singles competition

1. BUSBY, Harry (MCC) def. LOPEZ, Ethan (PSU) 6-3, 6-3

2. TIERNEY, Stuart (PSU) def. WIGHTMAN, Max (MCC) 6-4, 6-4

3. COCHRANE, Wil (PSU) def. SILVESTRI, Nick (MCC) 6-3, 5-7, 6-4

4. KOTELIANETS, Vitalli (MCC) def. PRONESTI, Matt (PSU) 7-6, 6-1

5. WHEELER, Brent (PSU) def. NGUYEN, Andy (MCC) 7-5, 5-7, 1-0 (10-5)

6. MCMAHON, Kevin (MCC) def. IBANEZ, Nacor (PSU) 6-0, 7-5

 

Doubles competition

1. WIGHTMAN, Max/BUSBY, Harry (MCC) def. LOPEZ, Ethan/WHEELER, Brent (PSU) 6-3

2. PRONESTI, Matt/COCHRANE, Wil (PSU) def. SILVESTRI, Nick/MCMAHON, Kevin (MCC) 7-6

3. NGUYEN, Andy/KOTELIANETS, Vitalli (MCC) def. TIERNEY, Stuart/CHART, Nate (PSU) 6-3

 

Match Notes

Portland State 5-9

Mesa Community College 6-1