WAIPAHU, Oahu--Upset minded Biola grabbed a clinching tiebreaker win in doubles and claimed two more three-set marathons on the singles courts to help them trip up No. 4 nationally ranked UH Hilo 5-2 on Friday afternoon at the Patsy T. Mink Oahu Regional Tennis Courts.
The Eagles improved to 3-0 on the season and spoiled the Vulcans' 2022 season opener.
UHH No. 1
Martin Soukal won his singles match and teamed with
Alessio Demichelis to take a narrow victory on court one in doubles, but not much else went UH Hilo's way in their first match since the 2021 NCAA semifinals.
Soukal defeated Sebastian Herrera, 6-2, 6-4 to begin his 2022 season. He and doubles partner Demichelis survived the Biola duo of Alexei Prokopchuk and Antonio Rosales Varona, 7-6 (7-3) on court one.
Luca Matheiowetz won on court five for the Vulcans in a three-setter (6-4, 0-6, 6-4), but everything else on the day belonged to the Eagles. Prokopchuk went the distance to upset Demichelis (4-6, 7-5, 7-5), and Tomas Gomez also went three sets to dispatch UHH's
Agustin Gentile at No. 4 (6-3, 5-7, 6-3). Additionally, Biola won in straight sets on courts three and six.
Earlier, despite UHH's doubles win on court one, Biola claimed the team point with a win at No. 2 and then a tiebreaker thriller on court three. In the doubles clincher, Gomez and Callen Hein edged
Luca Checchia and Gentile, 7-6, (8-6).
The Vulcans will have a short time to recover and forget, taking on 2021 PacWest runner-up Azusa Pacific on Saturday. Match time is set to begin at noon.
Biola 5, #4 UH Hilo 2
Patsy T. Mink Central O`ahu Regional Park, Waipahu, Hawaii
Singles competition
1.
Martin Soukal (UHH) def. Sebastian Herrera (BU), 6-2, 6-4.
2. Alexei Prokopchuk (BU) def.
Alessio Demichelis (UHH), 4-6, 7-5, 7-5.
3.
Antonio Varona (BU) def. Luca Checchia (UHH), 6-3, 6-3.
4. Tomas Gomez (BU) def.
Agustin Gentile (UHH), 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.
5.
Luca Matheiowetz (UHH) def. Isaac Cordova (BU), 6-4, 0-6, 6-4.
6. Alex Sedeno (BU) def.
Joshua Liu (UHH), 6-3, 6-1.
Singles order of finish: 1-3-6-5-2-4
Doubles competition
1. Soukal/Dimichelis (UHH) def. Prokopchuk/Varona (BU), 7-6, (7-3).
2. Herrera/Carlos Solorzano (BU) def. Liu/Matheiowetz (UHH), 6-2.
3. Gomez/Callen Hein (BU) def. Checchia/Gentile (UH), 7-6 (8-6).
Doubles order of finish: 3-1
Records: Biola 3-0, #4 UH Hilo 0-1
