PROVO, Utah – The BYU men’s tennis team swept three schools in its first-ever triple-header 21-0 Friday, against Montana State, Missouri-Kansas City and Nebraska-Omaha.
“This was the first tripleheader in the history of our program,” BYU head coach Brad Pearce said. “To do what we did today—not dropping one match—was an absolutely incredible physical, mental and emotional achievement. I couldn’t be more proud.”
Montana State Bobcats
The Cougars started off the day with a quick 3-0 lead over the Bobcats after locking up the doubles point and fast wins from Jacob Sullivan and Shane Monroe, who each won both their sets 6-2, beating Harry James and Andre Napoliatano respectively.
The rest of the match went slowly but went the Cougars’ way as Juan Canales took both sets from Kellen Bates 6-4, 6-1, while Jeremy Bourgeois overcame Niklas Brandes 6-7, 6-3 (6-0) and David Ball beat Javier Morillas 7-6, 4-6 (7-5).
Victor Brown and Dylan Harvala tied with one set apiece 3-6, 6-3. Since the match had already been called, they elected to finish with a 10-point tiebreaker set. Brown’s 10-8 victory clinched a 7-0 sweep for BYU.
University of Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos
A 7-0 sweep over the Roos began with a dramatic doubles round. Robin Pfister and Bourgeois knocked out Mike Psarros and Airam Costellano 7-5 while Aidan Carrazedo and Juan Canales fell in a 7-point tiebreaker to Conner Edwards and Amaury Navette. Ball and Sullivan fared better in their own 7-point tiebreaker over Andrey Smirnov and Uldis Gaismins, clinching the doubles point for BYU.
From there the Cougars dominated. Ball easily took down Psarros 6-1, 6-2 and Monroe beat Costellano 6-4, 6-2. Bourgeois was right behind them with hard-fought victories over Smirnov 6-4, 7-6 taking the match for the Cougars.
Sullivan came back from split sets with Gaismins 6-3, 3-6 to come out ahead with an easy 6-1 win. With the match called at 5-0, Carrazedo gave a one-set hammering to Navette 6-0. Canales finished with a one-set victory of his own, but only after 7-4 tiebreak game following a 7-6 set over Edwards.
University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks
The Cougars took an easy doubles point from the Mavericks, winning every set, beginning with Ball and Sullivan, who smashed Ignace Warson and Erik Anderson 6-1. Canales and Carrazedo beat Marko Minic and John Ellis 6-3 and the Pfister/Bourgeois duo took their set with a 6-4 win over Colin Buckley and Nathan Greteman.
Singles play followed suit, with BYU winning every set. Monroe was the first to finish, posting an incredible 6-0, 6-0 victory over Buckley without losing a single game.
Bourgeois was next to end his day with an impressive 6-2, 6-1 win over Anderson, followed closely by Ball, who defeated Ellis 6-1, 6-2, putting the match to bed with an initial 4-0 clinch. Sullivan also won both his sets against James McManus with repeat 6-3 sets.
Canales and Carrazedo, beating Minic and Warson respectively with 6-2 and 6-0 wins, rounded out a perfect day for the Cougars with a final 7-0 sweep.
“It’s one thing to get through a tripleheader—to survive, to be standing—it’s another thing to not drop a single match. 21-0, back-to-back-to-back: it’s an absolutely incredible achievement,” Pearce said.
“What these guys accomplished and how they came together was a defining moment for this season. We’re certainly going to build off this achievement.”
BYU will take on Saint Mary’s on Wednesday, February 4, at 5:30 p.m. MST in the Indoor Tennis Courts, and then head to Stanford on Saturday, February 7.
Brigham Young 7, Montana State 0
Singles competition
1. MONROE, Shane (BYU-M) def. Napoliatano (MONTST) 6-2, 6-2
2. BOURGEOIS, Jeremy (BYU-M) def. Niklas Brandes (MONTST) 6-7, 6-3, 6-0
3. BALL, David (BYU-M) def. Javier Morillas (MONTST) 7-6, 4-6, 7-5
4. SULLIVAN, Jacob (BYU-M) def. Harry James (MONTST) 6-2, 6-2
5. CANALES, Juan (BYU-M) def. Bates (MONTST) 6-4, 6-1
6. BROWN, Victor (BYU-M) def. Harvala (MONTST) 3-6, 6-3, 1-0
Doubles competition
1. Javier Morillas/Niklas Brandes (MONTST) vs. PFISTER, Robin/BOURGEOIS, Jeremy (BYU-M) no result
2. BALL, David/SULLIVAN, Jacob (BYU-M) def. Bates/Harry James (MONTST) 6-2
3. CANALES, Juan/CARRAZEDO, Aidan (BYU-M) def. Napoliatano/Harvala (MONTST) 6-4
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (2); Singles (4,1,5,2,3,6)
Brigham Young 7, Nebraska - Omaha 0
Singles competition
1. MONROE, Shane (BYU-M) def. Colin Buckley (OMAHA) 6-0, 6-0
2. BOURGEOIS, Jeremy (BYU-M) def. Erik Anderson (OMAHA) 6-2, 6-1
3. BALL, David (BYU-M) def. John Ellis (OMAHA) 6-1, 6-2
4. SULLIVAN, Jacob (BYU-M) def. James McManus (OMAHA) 6-3, 6-3
5. CANALES, Juan (BYU-M) def. Marko Minic (OMAHA) 6-2
6. CARRAZEDO, Aidan (BYU-M) def. Ignace Warson (OMAHA) 6-0
Doubles competition
1. PFISTER, Robin/BOURGEOIS, Jeremy (BYU-M) def. Colin Buckley/Nathan Greteman (OMAHA) 6-4
2. BALL, David/SULLIVAN, Jacob (BYU-M) def. Ignace Warson/Erik Anderson (OMAHA) 6-1
3. CANALES, Juan/CARRAZEDO, Aidan (BYU-M) def. Marko Minic/John Ellis (OMAHA) 6-3
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (2); Singles (1,2,3,4,5,6)
Brigham Young 7, Univ of Missouri - Kansas City 0
Singles competition
1. MONROE, Shane (BYU-M) def. Airam Castellano (UMKC) 6-4, 6-2
2. BOURGEOIS, Jeremy (BYU-M) def. Andrey Smirnov (UMKC) 6-4, 7-6
3. BALL, David (BYU-M) def. Mike Psarros (UMKC) 6-1, 6-2
4. SULLIVAN, Jacob (BYU-M) def. Uldis Gaismins (UMKC) 6-3, 3-6, 6-1
5. CANALES, Juan (BYU-M) def. Conner Edwards (UMKC) 7-6 (7-4)
6. CARRAZEDO, Aidan (BYU-M) def. Amaury Navette (UMKC) 6-0
Doubles competition
1. PFISTER, Robin/BOURGEOIS, Jeremy (BYU-M) def. Mike Psarros/Airam Castellano (UMKC) 7-5
2. BALL, David/SULLIVAN, Jacob (BYU-M) def. Andrey Smirnov/Uldis Gaismins (UMKC) 7-6 (7-5)
3. Conner Edwards/Amaury Navette (UMKC) def. CARRAZEDO, Aidan/CANALES, Juan (BYU-M) 7-6 (9-7)
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (1); Singles (3,1,2,4,6,5)