SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Looking to get back in the win column, the Santa Clara men's tennis will do battle with nationally ranked Boise State University this Sunday at 11 a.m. in Boise, Idaho.
During the Coach Mills era, Santa Clara is 3-0 against the Broncos. In the most recent matchup, Santa Clara won in comeback fashion by a score of 4-3 in 2013.
"We are excited and ready to get back on track this Sunday," said Mills. "Boise State has a strong roster and competitive spirit. We will need to be at the top of our game in order to come out on top."
The Broncos
Coming in at 3-1 on the season, Santa Clara cruised to two sweeps in its first two matches and bested No. 66 Fresno State University before falling to No. 17 Stanford University on Tuesday.
Looking to get back in the win column after two consecutive defeats, Ashot Khacharyan will look to lead the Broncos at the No. 1 singles position. During his freshman season, Khacharyan defeated his Boise State opponent in straight sets.
Behind the lone Santa Clara senior, freshman Robert Seby powers the Broncos at the No. 2 singles spot. Seby comes in at 5-3 on the season and 3-0 at the second position. His most recent match against the Cardinal went unfinished after play was stopped in the third set.
The No. 3 position belongs to Albany, Calif. native Andrew Gu. The freshman also has five wins on the season to go along with a 3-0 mark at the third position.
Despite dropping his match against Stanford, Connor Garnett continues to lead the Broncos with six singles victories while competing at the No. 4 spot. The Bellevue, Wash. native is 3-1 in dual match play and just recently dropped his first set of the season while playing against his Cardinal competitor.
Freshman Kamran Khan will also look to bounce back after falling against Stanford. Khan is 4-2 on the year and 3-1 in dual match play while playing at the No. 5 spot.
Lone sophomore Sebastien Mathieu, coming in at 2-1 in dual match play, rounds out Santa Clara's singles lineup at the No. 6 spot.
In doubles, Santa Clara's leading duo of Garnett and Seby suffered its first defeat of 2016 against Stanford. The freshman-freshman tandem is 3-1 on the season while competing at the No. 2 position. The Broncos' No. 1 and No. 3 pairings come in at 2-1 to start the dual match season.
Boise State
After opening up the season 4-0, the Broncos are suffering through a two match skid, falling to Texas A&M University and Virginia Tech University, both in the form of sweeps. Despite the two losses, Boise State is 3-0 while competing at home.
Toby Mitchell, boasting an 8-5 mark on the year and 3-2 record in dual match play, headlines Boise State's singles lineup at the No. 1 spot. The senior will look to get back on track after falling in straight sets to Virginia Tech.
Playing No. 2 singles against the Hokies, Brian Foley also fell in straight sets in his first match this season playing at that position. Standing 6-foot-3-inches tall, Foley is 4-3 in dual match play and has seen time at all of the top three singles positions.
Coming in with a .500 record of 4-4, Abe Hewko primarily takes care of the No. 4 position. Hewko, Boise State's tallest competitor, is 0-3 at the fourth position.
Four different competitors have seen action at the final two singles positions this season, resulting in an even 5-5 record. Most recently, Lewis Roskilly took the reigns of the No. 5 spot while Pedro Platzeck assumed control of the No. 6 position. Both Broncos fell in straight sets to Virginia Tech.
On the doubles side, Butter and Mitchell lead the way at the No. 1 spot. The duo is 4-2 on the year and 1-0 in dual match play. Behind them, Foley and Roskilly pair up at the No. 2 spot. The Bronco tandem is 1-3 on the year, 1-2 in dual match play and is winless in its last two appearances. Also 1-2 in dual match play, Hewko and Platzeck play at the No. 3 position.
