SURPRISE, Ariz. - Competing at the PacWest Championships, the Fresno Pacific tennis teams battled in their opening matches, taking on Hawaii Pacific and Menlo. The Sunbird men kicked off the tournament with an early battle against the Sharks (2-4), followed by the Lady 'Birds nail-biting 4-2 victory over the Oaks.
The men's tennis team met resistance early on against No. 3 seed Hawaii Pacific. The Sharks captured the doubles point to take the initial lead over the Sunbirds. Fresno Pacific saw valiant efforts across the board, yet the two big points for the team were secured by the Third Team All-PacWest duo of
Emilio Seelbach and
Jordi Gonzalez. Unfortunately, Hawaii Pacific swept the remaining courts in straight set matches, punching their ticket to semifinals and sending FPU into the consolation bracket.
The No. 29 Lady 'Birds signed, sealed, and delivered an unforgettable performance as they capped the strenuous game with a 4-2 triumph. Fresno Pacific soared ahead to an early lead by claiming the doubles point. When it came to singles, challenges began to stir for the 'Birds. PacWest Freshman of the Year
Fabiana Gonzalez (6-0, 6-3) and
Malia Mitchell (6-2, 6-2) were the first to win their matches against the Oaks. It ultimately came down to
Halle Faherty or PacWest Player of the Year
Yume Ueoku to clinch the point. Although she lost the first set, a rallying cry by Ueoku sparked the 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 result, sending the 'Birds to the semifinals!
NEXT UP: The Sunbird men will compete for fifth place against Hawaii Hilo on Thursday morning at 9 am. The women's team will come face-to-face with No. 1 seed Azusa Pacific on Thursday at 1pm.
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