SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Awaiting two of the top three teams in the West Coast Conference, the Santa Clara men's tennis team will close out its 2016 home slate with matchups against No. 65 Brigham Young University and No. 29 University of San Diego this weekend.
Note: Match time vs. BYU adjusted due to potential inclement weather.
The match between the Broncos (9-9, 2-2 WCC) and Cougars (14-5, 3-1 WCC) is currently being delayed. The match is tentatively scheduled to start at 1 p.m on Friday (originally scheduled for noon). Santa Clara takes on the Toreros (15-7, 3-0 WCC) at the noon Saturday.
Over the course of the last five seasons, Santa Clara and BYU have split the series meetings 2-2 while San Diego has held a commanding advantage over the Broncos, winning six out the last seven meetings.
"This will be a challenging weekend competing against some of the best teams in the conference," said Head Coach Derek Mills. "We simply need to treat these matches like any other, play with energy and composure, and dictate pace."
The Broncos
Winners of three out of their last four, the Broncos will look to go for their eighth win at home this weekend and get back on track after falling to the University of Portland in their last outing.
For the final time on Saturday, Ashot Khacharyan will play his last match at the Degheri Tennis Center. The senior enters this weekend at 9-7 on the year and 5-2 at home. During his four year run with the Broncos, the Sochi, Russia native is a perfect 4-0 against competitors from BYU and USD in dual match play.
Next door on Courts 2 and 3, Andrew Gu and Robert Seby will both be looking for revenge after falling in their matches last weekend.
Playing at the No. 4 spot, Connor Garnett has led the Broncos all season in singles production. Now at 13-6 on the season, the freshman brings a three-match winning streak to the table.
Kamran Khan, playing at the No. 5 spot, regrouped from a 1-3 rough patch during the end of March to clinch Santa Clara's victory over Gonzaga. Unfortunately for the Broncos, Khan's neighbor, sophomore Sebastien Mathieu, has been out of sync as of late, falling in seven straight matches after a 2-0 start to the season.
In doubles, Santa Clara grabbed the doubles point against the Pilots in their last match but fell in the end, the second such occasion this season. Leading the squad with their 8-2 record, Garnett and Seby continue to rack up victories at the No. 1 or No. 2 positions.
BYU
The Cougars currently sit at the third spot in the WCC rankings. Despite its 14-5 mark, BYU is currently suffering through a two-match slide.
Recently taking over at the No. 1 spot against the Toreros, Keaton Cullimore brings a 13-4 mark and three match winning streak to the Mission Campus this weekend. Just below, John Pearce boasts 10 wins on the season and holds down the No. 2 position. The shortest BYU competitor, standing 5-feet, 6-inches tall, Pearce is 7-3 in his last 10 matches,
In the heart of their singles lineup, the Cougars featured another double-digit victory holder against USD in the form of Andrey Goryachkov at the third position. Jacob Sullivan, just shy with nine wins on the year, plays at the No. 4 spot where he is 6-3 in dual matches. At the backend, Jeremy Bourgeois comes in at 9-2 this year while J.D. Malan is 2-1.
Although he did not suit up against the Toreros, Shane Monroe leads all BYU competitors with a 14-2 mark on the season and primarily plays at the No. 1 spot when called upon.
In doubles, the Cougars are 11-0 on the season after winning the doubles point. However, BYU has not found as much success at the top spot in doubles as five pairings have combined for a 9-10 mark. Picking up the slack, the 10-3 tandem of Pearce and Sullivan on Court 2 lead all Cougars and bested USD's duo last weekend. Seven pairings are 11-5 at the final position.
San Diego
First place in the WCC, the Toreros head to the Bay Area on a five match winning streak, having dropped just one point during that hot streak. Before visiting the Mission Campus, San Diego will head to the city by the bay for a date with the Dons from the University of San Francisco on Friday.
The Toreros have dominated the conference in recent time, winning 21 consecutive conference matches.
Finding consistency at the top two positions this season, Jordan Angus and Filip Vittek headlined USD's attack against BYU in its last match. Angus, the 63rd-ranked competitor in the country, is 19-7 on the year while Vittek leads all Toreros with 20 wins on the year.
Jaan Kononov and Romain Kalaydijan laced it up against the Cougars at the third and fourth positions. Kononov is 5-6 this year but Kalaydijan has picked up the pace, winning 16 matches this year and four out of his last four. The final two positions in singles have seen 18 wins and 12 losses among seven difference Torero competitors this season.
Although he didn't play against the Cougars, Uros Petronijevic, ranked No. 49 in singles, has played a number of matches at the No. 1 position this year, posting a mark of 9-6 and 6-5 against ranked opponents.
Over in doubles, Petronijevic and Vittek have powered the Toreros at the No. 1 spot this season with their 8-2 mark. At the two other positions, a number of pairings have combined to post a 17-15 record. As a team, the Toreros are 12-2 on the season after taking the doubles point.
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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