VANCOUVER, Wash. – While getting stellar doubles play and wins from Lukas Kortus and Alec Marx, the Portland State men's tennis team (6-11, 1-5) was edged by Northern Colorado, 4-3, in Vancouver, Wash., on Saturday morning. The Viks now fall to 1-5 in conference play with the loss.

For the fourth time in five contests PSU took the doubles point as the Viks took two of three matches.

Portland State struck first on court No. 2 as the duo of Antoine Bechmann and Ian Risenhoover drew first blood with a workman-like, 8-4 victory against Michael Knight and Eric Schuemans. With the victory PSU pulled ahead with a 1-0 lead.

Shortly thereafter, the No. 3 team of Alec Marx and Abhinav Mishra, a team who was reunited midway through the year after playing a great deal last season, remained undefeated in 2013 as the tandem downed Northern Colorado duo of Jeff Carlson and Jordan Loughlan, 8-5.

With the win, Marx and Mishra improved to 6-0 and 4-0 in conference. Likewise it seems wherever Mishra plays doubles the team turns to gold, as the junior is 11-3 and holds the best doubles record on the team.

The No. 1 team of Connor Gilmore and Brent Wheeler fought hard but eventually were downed 8-5 by Ben Gendron and Brandon Lupo, but in the end the Viks took the doubles point with a 2-1 record.

While the Viks led 1-0, it was the Bears that took over in singles play, reeling of four-straight singles victories to take the match.

Knight was the first player from Northern Colorado to tally a victory, defeating Wheeler at the No. 3 spot, 6-1, 6-1, to make it 1-1.

The Bears took their first lead of the match on court No. 1 as Lupo defeated Bechmann in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4.

Carlson made it 3-1 from the No. 5 spot as Mishra fell, 6-4, 6-2 while it was Gendron on court No. 2 that clinched the match for Northern Colorado defeating Gilmore, 6-0, 6-3.

Lukas Kortus recorded his second conference win of the year from the No 4 position, coming back from a tough 6-4, first set loss to take the next two, 6-1, 6-3, and give PSU its first singles victory of the match.

Marx got just his third start in the lineup in 2013 but made it count from the No. 6 spot, also bouncing back from a first set loss. This time it was to the tune of 6-4 as he took the next set, 6-4 and ground out a third-set tiebreaker 11-9. With the victory Marx earns his first conference win of his career at Portland State and gets his second singles win against a division I opponent.

This match was the final home contest to be played at Club Green Meadows for PSU and before the match, graduating senior Zach Lubek was honored for his accomplishments through his time at Portland State.

The Vikings will now take to the road for the rest of the season, with its first trip coming next weekend when the team plays Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho, on Friday April 12 and then will play Big Sky and Dam Cup rival, Eastern Washington on April 13 in Cheney, Wash. The match times are slated for 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively.

Singles competition

1. LUPO, Brandon (UNC) def. BECHMANN, Antoine (PSU) 6-2, 6-4

2. GENDRON, Ben (UNC) def. GILMORE, Connor (PSU) 6-0, 6-3

3. KNIGHT, Michael (UNC) def. WHEELER, Brent (PSU) 6-1, 6-1

4. KORTUS, Lukas (PSU) def. LOUGHLAN, Jordan (UNC) 4-6, 6-1, 6-3

5. CARLSON, Jeff (UNC) def. MISHRA, Abhinav (PSU) 6-4, 6-2

6. MARX, Alec (PSU) def. MOYA, Michael (UNC) 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (11-9)

 

Doubles competition

1. LUPO, Brandon/GENDRON, Ben (UNC) def. WHEELER, Brent/GILMORE, Connor (PSU) 8-5

2. RISENHOOVER, Ian/BECHMANN, Antoine (PSU) def. KNIGHT, Michael/SCHUEMANS, Eric (UNC) 8-4

3. MARX, Alec/MISHRA, Abhinav (PSU) def. CARLSON, Jeff/LOUGHLAN, Jordan (UNC) 8-5

 

Match Notes

Northern Colorado 12-5, 4-4

Portland State 6-10, 1-5

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