Complete Match Notes (PDF)

PORTLAND, Ore. — A Friday doubleheader and a third match Saturday? No, softball season hasn't come early. It's just a busy weekend for the Portland State men's tennis team, which hosts Puget Sound and Willamette in back-to-back matches Friday, and then plays Seattle at home at 2 p.m. Saturday.
 
All three teams will be opening their 2018 seasons against the Vikings this weekend, while the Vikings return to action after opening their season two weeks ago with a 7-0 loss to Oregon on Jan. 12.
 
Viking No. 1 Nathan Boniel nearly gave the Vikings a point in that match with a win against Oregon's Simon Stevens, who was a Pac-12 honorable mention in 2015.
 
Stevens took the first set off Boniel, 6-2, and ran out to a 3-0 lead in the second set before Boniel stormed back to win the second set in a tiebreaker. Boniel fell behind early in the ensuing 10-point match tiebreaker, trailing by as much as 6-1 at one point. Boniel still trailed 7-3, but then made a run to get back within one at 8-7. Boniel got even with Stevens at 9-all, but Stevens won the final two points to take their match, 6-2, 6-7, 1-0 (11-9).
 
Boniel and the rest of the Vikings should have an easier go of things this weekend. Boniel swept his two matches against Seattle's Trenton Nield last season, and beat Willamette's Aaron Schecther as well.
 
The Vikings swept all their matches against Willamette in a 7-0 win last season. The Bearcats return only two players from that match, and have a young roster overall this season with four freshmen and two sophomores among their eight players.
 
Puget Sound has the opposite situation with their roster as five seniors and four juniors make up their 10 players. The Loggers will be coming off a tough season in 2017, however, when they went winless in 14 matches.
 
The match against Seattle on Saturday should produce a closer result, considering the teams' last three matches against each other all were decided by 4-3 scores. The Redhawks swept two 4-3 matches against the Vikings last season, winning one on the road and one at home.
 
The Redhawks came back after losing the doubles point to the Vikings in their first match against each other last season on Jan. 27. Boniel and sophomore Tommy Edwards won their singles matches at lines one and three, respectively, but the Redhawks swept the other four singles matches for the win.
 
Boniel and Edwards won again in Seattle on Feb. 11 – this time at lines one and two, respectively – and the Vikings picked up another win from Ethan Lopez at line three. The Redhawks swept the singles matches at lines four through six, however, and won what turned out to be a decisive doubles point to complete the 4-3 win.
 
The Vikings will start their Friday doubleheader against Puget Sound at 2:30 p.m. (PT) Friday, with their match against Willamette following at 6 p.m. (PT). The Vikings' match against Seattle Saturday will start at 2 p.m. (PT). All matches will be played at Club Green Meadows in Vancouver, Wash.
 
MATCH INFO:
Friday, Jan. 26 – vs. Puget Sound – Vancouver, Wash. (Club Green Meadows) – 2:30 p.m. (PT)
Friday, Jan. 26 – vs. Willamette – Vancouver, Wash. (Club Green Meadows) – 6 p.m. (PT)
Saturday, Jan. 27 – vs. Seattle – Vancouver, Wash. (Club Green Meadows) – 2 p.m. (PT)
 
SCOUTING PUGET SOUND:
The NCAA Division III Puget Sound Loggers (0-0) will open their 2018 season against the Vikings Friday.
The Loggers went winless last season, going 0-14 overall and 0-12 in the Northwest Conference.
The Loggers have an experienced roster this season with five seniors and four juniors among their 10 players.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VERSUS PUGET SOUND:
This will be the Vikings' first-ever match against the Loggers.
 
SCOUTING WILLAMETTE:
Like their conference rivals the Loggers, the NCAA Division III Willamette Bearcats (0-0) will open their 2018 season against the Vikings Friday.
The Bearcats went 2-12 overall and 2-10 in the Northwest Conference last season.
The Bearcats have a young roster with four freshmen and two sophomores among their eight players.
The Vikings won all three doubles and all six singles matches in their dual against the Bearcats last season. Only two players on each side return from that match in Nathan Boniel and Tommy Edwards for the Vikings, and Aaron Schechter and Colin Fisher for the Bearcats. Boniel and Schechter played each other at line one in singles, with Boniel winning 6-0, 6-3. Boniel and Edwards also faced Schechter and Gunnar Lee at line one in doubles last season, with Boniel and Edwards winning 8-2.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VERSUS WILLAMETTE:
The Vikings lead their all-time series against Willamette, 4-1. The Vikings have won the last four matches against the Bearcats, including last season when the Vikings won 7-0. The Bearcats' lone victory came in 2001, when they beat the Vikings 7-0.
 
SCOUTING SEATTLE:
Like everybody else this weekend, the Seattle Redhawks (0-0) will open their 2018 season against the Vikings Saturday.
The Redhawks went 10-15 overall and 0-5 in the Western Athletic Conference.
The Redhawks beat the Vikings twice last season, both times by narrow, 4-3 scores. Five of the Redhawks' six players in singles in those two matches return this season, while only Nathan Boniel and Tommy Edwards return for the Vikings. Boniel beat Trenton Nield – one of the Redhawks' five returners – at line one in both matches last season, winning 6-3, 7-6 (3) at home on Jan. 27 and 6-4, 6-3 on the road on Feb. 11. Edwards also won both of his singles matches against the Redhawks last season, beating Seattle's Matt Alderson – another returner – 6-2, 6-3 at line three on Jan. 27, and John Stormans – the one non-returner – 6-3, 6-4 at line two on Feb. 11.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VERSUS SEATTLE:
The Vikings lead their all-time series against the Redhawks, 7-5. The Redhawks won both of their matches against the Vikings last season by 4-3 scores. The Vikings and Redhawks have played three straight 4-3 matches against each other, and the two matches before that were decided by 5-2 scores.
 
BONIEL'S ASSAULT ON THE PSU RECORD BOOKS:
Senior Nathan Boniel holds five career records already at Portland State, and will only be extending those records in his final year as a Viking. Boniel already holds the records for overall singles wins (32), overall singles win percentage (.821), Big Sky singles wins (17), wins at No. 1 singles (32) and win percentage at No. 1 singles (.821). Additionally, Boniel ranks just outside the top 10 in doubles wins with 18 in his career, and ranks third all time in overall doubles win percentage at .529.
 
TOMMY BOY WONDER:
Sophomore Tommy Edwards tied the second-best single-season win total at No. 2 singles last season as a freshman. Edwards won eight matches while sporting a winning record at line two last season, when he also went 6-5 in Big Sky matches. Edwards now heads into his second year at Portland State ranked fourth all time in wins at No. 2 singles, just five spots out of second place. Edwards also ranks tied for the career lead in win percentage at No. 2 singles with a .500 all-time mark.
 
2017 SEASON RECAP:
Nathan Boniel had another stellar season – going 13-5 at line one and 8-3 in Big Sky matches – but the Vikings finished 4-14 overall and 2-9 in Big Sky play, and never challenged for a spot in the Big Sky tournament like they did in 2016. Tommy Edwards boosted the Vikings with his play as a freshman at line two, where he went 8-7 while playing against much older players. Edwards also went 6-5 in Big Sky play, and teamed up with Boniel to go 9-8 while playing at line one doubles together during the season.