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CHENEY, Wash. — Breakthrough.
 
Two days removed from a close, 4-3 road loss to the defending Big Sky tournament-champion Idaho Vandals, the Portland State men's tennis team flipped the script on Eastern Washington Sunday, beating the Eagles 4-3 for the Vikings' first win in Cheney, Wash., in program history.
 
The close loss to the Vandals Friday was a reminder of how far the Vikings (9-6, 4-2 Big Sky) had come from 2016, when they narrowly missed a Big Sky tournament berth in large part because of an 0-5 record on the road. Sunday's match against the Eagles (6-7, 2-4 Big Sky) served as the Vikings' chance to turn that promise into practice, and the Vikings did just that, snapping an eight-match losing streak to the Eagles in the process.
 
The road win legitimizes the Vikings' hopes of making it to the Big Sky tournament this season, which would mark the Vikings' first trip to the conference tournament since 2003, and the program's first-ever qualification on merit (the Vikings earned an auto bid as the tournament hosts in 2003). The Vikings stand 4-2 in Big Sky play at the midway point of the conference schedule after Sunday's win, ranking them tied for fourth in the conference standings based on win percentage. The Vikings rank one game ahead of Weber State, which the Vikings will play in their next match at home on March 23.
 
The Vikings came back to beat the Eagles on the road Sunday despite losing the doubles point – the third time this season the Vikings have come back to win after losing in doubles. The Vikings also came back to beat Southern Utah 4-3 on Feb. 16 after losing the doubles point, and did the same thing at Seattle on March 2.
 
Three of the Vikings' four singles wins against the Eagles came in three sets, with Majeed Bukhari providing the dual-clinching fourth win with a three-set win over Eastern Washington's Devon Kashishian at line six. Bukhari lost the first set to Kashishian, 6-4, but then only dropped two games after that as he ran away with their match for a 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 win.
 
Bukhari also contributed to the Vikings' comeback against Seattle on March 2, when he made his return to the Vikings' singles lineup after not playing singles in any of the team's four previous matches. Bukhari has been on fire since his return, as he's won four of his five singles matches with his only loss coming in the Vikings' match against then-No. 47 Washington. And even then Bukhari took a set off the Huskies' Joao Barra.
 
Bukhari has also won three straight doubles matches with teammate Sam Roberts, who he teamed up with again Sunday for a 6-4 win over the Eagles' Jeremey Mueller and Ricardo Almeida at line three.
 
Avery West won his second straight match in singles as he set Bukhari up to clinch the dual for the Vikings with his own three-set win at line three. West had a much more nervy final set than Bukhari, however, as he and Flavien Raveau went back-and-forth throughout their match. The players split the opening two sets, both by 6-4 scores, with Raveau winning the first set while West won the second. Neither player let up in the third set, either, as it went to a third-set tiebreaker that West squeaked out, 7-5, to complete a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) win.
 
Freshman Otto Holtari also won in three sets Sunday, as he beat the Eagles' Jeremy Mueller at line four. Holtari opened his match against Mueller with a close, 7-5 win in the first set, but then dropped the second set, 6-2. Holtari rebounded to win a tight third set, 6-4, however, leveling the dual at 2-all at that point.
 
Senior Nathan Boniel was the lone Viking to win in fewer than three sets, as he beat the Eagles' Scott Paz 6-4, 6-4 at line one.
 
Boniel – the all-time leader in overall singles wins, wins at No. 1 singles and Big Sky singles wins at Portland State – has won four his six Big Sky singles matches this season, matching West. Holtari leads all players with five Big Sky singles wins through only six matches this season.
 
The Vikings will now have a week off before returning to play for their match against the Wildcats on March 23. First serve for the Vikings' match against Weber State will be at 2 p.m. at Club Green Meadows in Vancouver, Wash.
 
Portland State 4, Eastern Washington 3
Mar 11, 2018 at Cheney, Wash. (Jim Thorpe Fieldhouse) 

Singles competition

1. BONIEL, Nathan (PSU) def. PAZ, Scott (EWU) 6-4, 6-4

2. FIELD, Jeremy (EWU) def. EDWARDS, Tommy (PSU) 6-3, 6-3

3. WEST, Avery (PSU) def. RAVEAU, Flavien (EWU) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)

4. HOLTARI, Otto (PSU) def. MUELLER, Jeremy (EWU) 7-5, 2-6, 6-4

5. PEREIRA, Victor (EWU) def. ROBERTS, Sam (PSU) 7-5, 7-5

6. BUKHARI, Majeed (PSU) def. KASHISHIAN, Devon (EWU) 4-6, 6-0, 6-2

 

Doubles competition

1. PAZ, Scott/RAVEAU, Flavien (EWU) def. WEST, Avery/EDWARDS, Tommy (PSU) 6-4

2. PEREIRA, Victor/FIELD, Jeremy (EWU) def. BONIEL, Nathan/SOUZA, Gabe (PSU) 7-5

3. ROBERTS, Sam/BUKHARI, Majeed (PSU) def. MUELLER, Jeremy/ALMEIDA, Ricardo (EWU) 6-4

 

Match Notes

Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (2,1,4,3,6,5)