COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.--In a close match of regional opponents, No. 49 BYU men’s tennis narrowly fell to Air Force, 4-3, Friday.

 

“I certainly want to give Air Force credit--they competed well as they always do,” BYU head coach Brad Pearce said. “We missed Juan (Canales) today who is a very good ball striker, but are going to have to have other guys step up because he is out for the rest of the season. Our desire and effort were there today, but our performance and execution with the basics, especially when given opportunities, were not.”

 

The Cougars (4-3) fell to the Falcons (3-0) as freshman Aidan Carrazedo lost in tiebreakers to Andrew Parks in the last match of the day. The South African took the first set 3-6, before the momentum changed, with Parks taking the final two sets 6-5(3), 6-5(5). 

 

The Falcons took the doubles point to begin the match. Captain Francis Sargeant and freshman Sterling Galli took care of Andy Jackson and Steven Young, 6-3, while freshmen Jacob Sullivan and Matthew Pearce had the opposite fortune, losing 6-3 to Lucas Fumagalli and Grant Taylor.

 

The point came down to to the last doubles match. Sophomore Andrey Goryachkov and freshman Jeremy Bourgeois played a close one, but ultimately fell to Jack McCullers and Alex Grubbs, 6-5.

 

BYU fought back, taking the three of the next four matches. Freshman Robin Pfister came up big stepping in for the injured Juan Canales, securing the first point for the Cougars with his victory over McCullers, 6-3, 6-1. 

 

Sargeant also came through with a solid win over Jackson, 6-3, 6-5(5). Goryachkov had a come-from-behind victory over Young. After losing the first set 2-6, the sophomore dug deep to take the final two, 6-3, 6-5(4).

 

Bourgeois could not overcome falling behind to his opponent, losing to Grubbs in three sets, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. Pearce also fell to his opponent, 6-4, 6-4.

 

“Being young was not an excuse in today's outcome,” coach Pearce said. “Playing at Air Force presents some unique challenges because of the extreme altitude, but we're better than what we produced today. We'll have to regroup for Denver tomorrow.”

 

BYU continues its two-game road trip tomorrow against No. 54 Denver at 4 p.m. MST.

 

 

Air Force 4, #49 BYU 3

Friday, Jan. 31, 2014

USAFA, Colo.

 

Doubles

1. Francis Sargeant / Sterling Galli (BYU) def. Andy Jackson / Steven Young, 6-3

2. Alex Grubbs / Jack McCullers (AF) def. Andrey Goryachkov / Jeremy Bourgeois, 6-5(4)

3. Lucas Fumagalli / Grant Taylor (AF) def. Jacob Sullivan / Matthew Pearce, 6-3

Order of finish: 1, 3, 2

 

Singles

1. Sargeant (BYU) def. Jackson, 6-3, 6-5(5)

2. Goryachkov (BYU) def. Young, 2-6, 6-3, 6-5(4)

3. Pfister (BYU) def. McCullers, 6-3, 6-1

4. Grubbs (AF) def. Bourgeois, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3

5. Taylor (AF) def. Pearce, 6-4, 6-4

6. Andrew Parks (AF) def. Aidan Carrezedo, 3-6, 6-5(3), 6-5(5)

Order of finish: Singles 3, 1, 4, 2, 5, 6

PROVO, Utah--Riding a 38-match win streak versus regional opponents, No. 49 BYU men’s tennis hits the road this weekend for meetings against Air Force and No. 54 Denver.

 

The Cougars (4-2) face the Falcons (2-0) on Friday at 9:30 a.m. MST and the Pioneers (1-1) on Saturday at 4 p.m.

 

“I think the past weekend really helped us to understand our team, where we are and where we need to go,” BYU head coach Brad Pearce said. “We’ll be focusing ourselves on preparing for Air Force and Denver. We’re excited for two tough matches.”

 

The Cougars are coming off of their first losses of the season in matches against No. 8 Kentucky and No. 39 Minnesota, but they aim to return to their winning ways, riding a 38-match unbeaten streak against ITA Mountain Region opponents.

 

BYU owns the all-time record versus Air Force with 27 wins and three losses.  Against Denver ,  the record is 10-3. 

 

“On paper Denver is a very strong regional rival, and we’re expecting a battle there,” coach Pearce said. “As for Air Force, you can never take for granted any of the service academies.”

 

Highlighting the season so far is regional No. 8 Francis Sargeant, who is 4-1 in dual play. The captain of the Cougars leads a team that includes eight freshmen. Matthew Pearce and Juan Canales have each posted a 3-2 record while Aidan Carrazedo has gone 3-1 during the young season.

 

Live stats can be followed on Air Force’s athletics website.

 

BYU’s next home match will be versus No. 47 Boise State Saturday, Feb. 8, at 5:30 p.m. MST.