VANCOUVER, Wash. – The Portland State men's tennis team (6-10, 1-5) got wins from the top-two spots in its singles lineup but eventually fell by a final score of 5-2, to the Sacramento State Hornets (13-11, 8-1) in Vancouver, Wash., on Friday morning.
 
In what has been a strength for Portland State this season, the Viks looked to their doubles play for an early spark in the match.
 
The Hornets drew first blood however as the team of Roy Brandys and Sean Kolar took down PSU's No. 2 team of Ian Risenhoover and Antoine Bechmann, 8-3.
 
Sacramento State made it 2-0 in doubles as Aliaksandr Malko and Tom Miller beat the Viking's No. 1 tandem of Connor Gilmore and Brent Wheeler, by a close 8-6 score.
 
While the doubles point had already been decided the No. 3 team of Alec Marx and Abhinav Mishra advanced their undefeated streak to 5-0, as the team upset Niranjan Ram and Henrik Raag, 8-7 (7).
 
With the match at 1-0 in favor of the Hornets, Portland State earned its first point of the morning as the Gilmore outlasted Malko, after taking the first set 6-3, and winning second and the matchby default as the Hornet player was forced to retire due to injury. Gilmore's win from the No. 2 spot evened the match up at 1-1.
 
That's as close as it got however as Sacramento State retook the momentum as Miller and Kolar earned the next two singles victories.
 
Miller downed Mishra after edging the junior 7-5 in the first set and rolling in the second, 6-1. Kolar made quick work of Wheeler in the No. 3 position by identical 6-1, scores.
 
Ram clinched the dual for the Hornets from the No. 4 spot as he won a tight contest with Lukas Kortus in straight sets, defeating the freshman, 6-4, 6-4.
 
From the No. 1 position Bechmann scored an upset over Brandys as the junior from Strasbourg France earned his fifth win from the No. 6 position and third conference victory in a three-set battle. Bechmann opened with a 6-3 first set victory but was downed in the second frame, 6-2. The junior reverted to form in the third stanza however defeating Brandys, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.
 
The Hornets capped off the match with one final win as Marx fell to Raag from the No. 6 spot, losing the match in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4 and securing a 5-2 win over Portland State.
 
The Viks have one more match this weekend as the team will play its final home contest of the season at Club Green Meadows, welcoming Northern Colorado to town on Sunday. The match is slated for 9 a.m. and will feature a celebration of its lone senior, Zach Lubek, as he plays his final match at Club Green Meadows.
 

 
Sacramento State 5, Portland State 2
Apr 05, 2013 at Vancouver, Wash. (Club Green Meadows) 

Singles competition

1. BECHMANN, Antoine (PSU) def. BRANDYS, Roy (SAC) 6-3, 2-6, 6-3

2. GILMORE, Connor (PSU) def. MALKO, Aliaksandr (SAC) 6-3, 2-2, retired

3. KOLAR, Sean (SAC) def. WHEELER, Brent (PSU) 6-1, 6-1

4. RAM, Niranjan (SAC) def. KORTUS, Lukas (PSU) 6-4, 6-4

5. MILLER, Tom (SAC) def. MISHRA, Abhinav (PSU) 7-5, 6-1

6. RAAG, Henrik (SAC) def. MARX, Alec (PSU) 6-4, 6-4

 

Doubles competition

1. MALKO, Aliaksandr/MILLER, Tom (SAC) def. GILMORE, Connor/WHEELER, Brent (PSU) 8-6

2. BRANDYS, Roy/KOLAR, Sean (SAC) def. RISENHOOVER, Ian/BECHMANN, Antoine (PSU) 8-3

3. MISHRA, Abhinav/MARX, Alec (PSU) def. RAM, Niranjan/RAAG, Henrik (SAC) 8-7 (10-7)

 

Match Notes

Sacramento State 13-11, 8-1

Portland State 6-10, 1-5

Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (2,5,3,4,1,6)