SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara men's tennis welcomes San Diego State University to the Degheri Tennis Center looking for revenge after a 4-0 Aztec victory last year.
The Broncos (7-8) and Aztecs (6-9) will hit the courts at noon on Wednesday in what will be Santa Clara's final nonconference test before jumping back into the conference grind.
"It's one of our final matches at home and we need to bring it," said Head Coach Derek Mills. "The Aztecs have a good squad despite their record and we need to remain focused in order to get this win."
The Broncos
Santa Clara will play its fourth match in eight days when they welcome SDSU. During that homestand, the Broncos fell to No. 22 Tulane University and No. 68 University of the Pacific before bouncing back to defeat Saint Mary's College 4-1 last Saturday.
With Ashot Khacharyan out the last two matches, Robert Seby filled in at the No. 1 singles position. The freshman has yet to win at the top spot but still holds a 9-9 record on the year competing at the top of the singles rotation against high quality competition.
Playing with passion on Court 2, Andrew Gu recently eclipsed the 10 win mark on the year with a victory against Saint Mary's. The freshman is on a two match-winning streak and boasts a 3-2 record competing at the second position.
Connor Garnett, moved to the third spot in the lineup recently, continues to lead the squad with 11 victories on the year, all but one coming in the form of straight set routs. Next door on Court 4, Kamran Khan also eclipsed 10 wins on the year recently with a match-clinching victory against the Gaels.
Santa Clara's final two singles positions have belonged to Sebastien Mathieu and Jeffrey Liang as of late. Both competitors are a combined 4-12 this season and will be looking to break five-match losing skids.
In doubles, Seby and Garnett have solidified their role as the No. 1 Bronco pairing. 6-2 on the year, the freshmen dismantled Saint Mary's by a score of 6-0. Khan and Liang are still searching for a win to break their four-match skid while playing on Court 2. In the final spot, Gu and Max Heerinckx picked up their first win together in their most recent outing.
San Diego State
Despite their sub-.500 record, SDSU has competed against 11 ranked squads so far this season. Before playing the Broncos on Wednesday, the Aztecs will challenge the 15th- ranked Golden Bears from the University of California, Berkeley on Tuesday.
Playing No. 1 singles and ranked No. 112 in the nation, Freddy Gelbrich leads the way for the Aztecs. Despite his ranking, the fifth year senior is just 6-7 on the year and 3-7 at the top spot. The 6-foot, 3-inch Aztec is currently suffering through a three-match losing skid.
Next door on Court 2, Milen Ianakiev boasts an 8-6 mark on the year and 2-0 record at the second position since moving to that position in recent time. Sander Gjoles-Andersen has not found similar success at the third position. The freshman is 4-8 on the year, 0-2 at that spot and is winless in his last four matches.
Controlling the fourth position, Marko Goles-Babic is even at 2-2 at that spot while Jonas Meinzer also holds a .500 mark of 1-1 one court over at No. 5. The final singles position, San Diego State's worst statistically this season, belongs to Raul de la Torre. The freshman is 2-2 on the year.
Lacking consistency in doubles, four doubles pairings have suited up to play at the No. 1 position, combining for two wins and eight losses. Regrouping next door, Henrik Jebens and Gjoles-Andersen are tied atop the team with four doubles victories on the year. The third position belongs to Goles-Babic and Santiago Cevallos. The duo is 0-1 on the season after falling to Fresno State University in their last match.
Parking & Admission: Admission is free to Degheri Tennis Center. Metered parking should be available in the Leavey Center lot, which is adjacent to the tennis center. Click here for a campus map and parking information.
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