No. 60 Bronco Men's Tennis Beats Portland 5-2 on Senior Day; All Three Seniors Win

No. 60 Bronco Men's Tennis Beats Portland 5-2 on Senior Day; All Three Seniors Win

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The No. 60 Bronco men's tennis team finished their regular season on a high note, topping Portland in a passionate 5-2 win on Senior Day. The Broncos won their third consecutive match, clinched fourth place in the WCC and honored their three seniors with a brief ceremony on a picturesque day at the Mission Campus. After taking the doubles point each Bronco senior won his match to secure the win, and SCU added another victory later for the final 5-2 margin.  

"I am so proud of my seniors today. All three won their singles matches and Mooch [Eugene Muchynski] got the clinch," said Bronco Head Coach Derek Mills. "It was an awesome day today with great weather and a big win on senior day."

Santa Clara travels to San Diego on Tuesday for the beginning of the WCC Conference Tournament. The Broncos, who finished fourth in the WCC standings, will square off against No. 9 Gonzaga at 12:30 pm on Wednesday. The Championship format will feature a single elimination bracket with the Championship taking place on Saturday, April 27.

Santa Clara is 16-9 overall and 4-4 in WCC matches. The Broncos are 13-3 on their home courts, 1-5 on the road and 2-1 in neutral contests. Portland fell to 10-10 with a 2-5 record in the WCC.

The Broncos recent tear in doubles continued, as Santa Clara pulled through for their third straight doubles point. At No. 2, seniors Matt Kecki and Tom Pham won 8-5 for the duo's fourth consecutive win and sixth in seven tries. After Portland grabbed a victory at No. 3, John Lamble and Ilya Osintsev came up with an 8-6 final in the top spot to break the tie. With a 7-6 advantage, Lamble and Osintsev earned a key break of serve to take the match despite their big-serving opponents.

In singles, the Bronco seniors stole the show. Kecki made quick work of his opponent at No. 3, dominating 6-1, 6-2. It was Kecki's third straight win and he improved to 14-7 on the season. In his first season at Santa Clara after two seasons at USC, Kecki has proved his competitiveness and leadership throughout the season, even winning two match-deciding contests (No. 38 Boise State and USF).

Pham recorded the Broncos' third victory at No. 4, rolling 6-3, 6-2 in a decisive win that was very fitting for the Broncos' all-time singles and overall wins leader. The singles victory was No. 87 in Pham's illustrious Bronco career, and he is now second all-time in doubles wins as well. After the match, Portland's coach congratulated Tom on his Bronco career and excellent sportsmanship.

Eugene Muchynski, playing at No. 6, battled until the end and pulled out the match after dropping the second set. The San Jose native took the first set 6-3 and finished with a bang, raising his game en route to a 6-1 third set beating. The victory clinched the Bronco win, snapped a six-match losing streak for Muchynski and gave him momentum heading into the conference tournament.

Lamble added the final Bronco win at No. 1 by a score of 6-0, 1-6, 7-5. Despite ripping through his opponent in the first set, Lamble dropped the second and found himself down 5-3 in the third. In a gutsy effort, the No. 75-ranked Lamble rallied to win the final four games and conclude an excellent day for the Broncos.

Position

 Santa Clara University

 University of Portland

 Winner

 Score

 #1 Singles

 #75 John Lamble

 Ratan Gill

 Santa Clara University

 6-0, 1-6, 7-5

 #2 Singles

 Ilya Osintsev

 Michel HuKwo

 University of Portland

 6-4, 6-4

 #3 Singles

 Matt Kecki

 Justin Guay

 Santa Clara University

 6-1, 6-2

 #4 Singles

 Tom Pham

 Alex Ferrero

 Santa Clara University

 6-3, 6-2

 #5 Singles

 Tomasz Soltyka

 Jackson Martin

 University of Portland

 6-3, 6-2

 #6 Singles

 Eugene Muchynski

 Kent Andreason

 Santa Clara University

 6-3, 3-6, 6-1

 #1 Doubles

 Ilya Osintsev
 John Lamble

 Ratan Gill
 Alex Ferrero

 Santa Clara University

 8-6

 #2 Doubles

 Matt Kecki
 Tom Pham

 Michel HuKwo
 Justin Guay

 Santa Clara University

 8-5

 #3 Doubles

 Eugene Muchynski
 Tomasz Soltyka

 Kent Andreason
 Jackson Martin

 University of Portland

 8-5