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ROHNERT PARK, Calif. — The Portland State men's tennis team will finish its push towards a berth into the Big Sky tournament on the road, and if Thursday served as any indication, then the Vikings will be dancing in Phoenix – site of the conference tournament, April 26-28 – next month.

The Vikings (10-7) beat Sonoma State 5-4 Thursday, giving them a program record-tying fourth win on the road this season. Three of the Vikings' four road wins have come by a single point, as it did Thursday, and the Vikings' last four matches overall have all been decided by a single point.

Thursday's match came down to line six, where Gabe Souza put the Vikings over the edge with a close, three-set win over Somona State's Alec Wong. Souza came back to clinch the dual for the Vikings after losing the first set of his match, just as he did in the Vikings' 4-3, comeback win over Southern Utah on Feb. 16.

Souza lost the first set to Wong, 6-2, but then pulled out a close second-set in a tiebreaker to level the match at a set all. The third set appeared destined for a tiebreaker as well, but Souza broke at deuce at 5-all in the third set thanks to a lucky roll on a drop shot that just dribbled over the net. Souza took advantage of the break and served out the match in the next game for a 2-6, 7-6, 7-5 win.

Souza's win followed wins from Nathan Boniel and Sam Roberts at lines one and four, as the Vikings climbed back from a 3-2 deficit to clinch the match. Boniel lost the first set of his match against Sonoma State's Nate Oppenheim in a tiebreaker, but got better and better as the match went along and eventually won 6-7, 6-4, 6-2. Roberts, meanwhile, pulled out a close first set against Sonoma State's Max Nudell in a tiebreaker before rolling in the second set for a 7-6, 6-1 win.

The Vikings came out strong in doubles against the Seawolves (12-5) and won the matches at lines one and two. Avery West and Tommy Edwards won their 12th match together at line one this season, beating Sonoma State's Oppenheim and Sean Alves, 8-2. Boniel and Souza won their 10th match together and sixth at line two while beating Sonoma State's Igo Pissarenko and Dylan King, 8-4.

West and Edwards are now a win away from tying Ethan Lopez and Brent Wheeler's single-season and career records for wins at No. 1 doubles, both of which they set with 13 wins in 2016. Additionally, both West and Edwards stand just two wins shy of Wheeler's individual single-season record for wins at No. 1 doubles, and three wins shy of Abhinav Mishra's single-season record for overall doubles wins, which he set with 15 wins in 2013.

Thursday's win over the Seawolves will serve as a momentum builder for the Vikings before they return to Big Sky play for a road match against perennial conference power Sacramento State Saturday. The Vikings currently lead the Hornets by half a game for the sixth and final spot in the Big Sky tournament, but will need to beat them in order to stay ahead of them.

First serve between the Vikings and Hornets will be at 1 p.m. at the Sacramento State Courts in Sacramento, Calif.

Portland State 5, Sonoma State 4
03/29/18 at Rohnert Park, Calif. (SSU Tennis Courts)

Singles competition

1. BONIEL, Nathan (PSU) def. OPPENHEIM, Nate (SSU) 6-7, 6-4, 6-2

2. ALVES, Sean (SSU) def. EDWARDS, Tommy (PSU) 6-4, 6-0

3. LOCK, Allan (SSU) def. HOLTARI, Otto (PSU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3

4. ROBERTS, Sam (PSU) def. NUDELL, Max (SSU) 7-6, 6-1

5. PISSARENKO, Igor (SSU) def. BUKHARI, Majeed (PSU) 6-2, 6-3

6. SOUZA, Gabe (PSU) def. WONG, Alec (SSU) 2-6, 7-6, 7-5

Doubles competition

1. WEST, Avery/EDWARDS, Tommy (PSU) def. OPPENHEIM, Nate/ALVES, Sean (SSU) 8-2

2. BONIEL, Nathan/SOUZA, Gabe (PSU) def. PISSARENKO, Igor/KING, Dylan (SSU) 8-4

3. WONG, Alec/NUDELL, Max (SSU) def. ROBERTS, Sam/BUKHARI, Majeed (PSU) 8-6

Match Notes

Portland State 10-7

Sonoma State 12-5

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