Cougars defeat Hawai'i to win third straight match

BYU vs. Hawai'i box score

MANOA, Hawai'i-- After defeating the University of Hawai'i 6-1 Monday morning, the BYU men's tennis team improved to 3-0 on the 2016 season. Hawai'i drops to 0-4.

"We got everything we wanted out of this trip," BYU head coach Brad Pearce said. "We played two solid opponents, we improved our team unity and spirit and we're coming home 3-0. We are already experiencing a great difference in leadership and camaraderie with this year's team and it's paying dividends in results already 

BYU took the early point again after sweeping the Rainbow Warriors doubles teams. Keaton Cullimore and Shane Monroe got things started for the Cougars by sweeping Hawai'i' s Marcel Chan and Nikolai Storch 6-0. They were followed by Andrey Goryachkov and Jeremy Bourgeois, who beat Kai Wehnelt and Felix Albert 6-1. Jacob Sullivan and John Pearce did not finish their match, as the doubles point had already been won, but they were defeating Igor Kolaric and Joakim Pinola 4-2.

Goryachkov carried his momentum into singles play and defeated Chan 6-1, 6-2 for the second point of the match. He was quickly followed by Sullivan, who took down Pinola 6-2, 6-3 for the third point. Pearce's loss to Kolaric 2-6, 2-6 was the only dropped match for the Cougars. Cullimore gave the momentum back to BYU shortly after Pearce's loss and beat Wehnelt 6-1, 6-4 and teammate Bourgeois won a hard fought battle against Storch 7-5, 6-2. Monroe followed shortly after with a win over Albert 6-3, 6-3, which gave the Cougars their sixth point of the match.

The Cougars return to Provo for their next two matches. BYU faces in-state rival Weber State, Friday, Jan. 22. Then on Saturday, Jan. 23, they play Nevada. Both matches start at 5:30 p.m.

Admission is free to both matches. There will also be free pizza and a drawing for a Roger Federer poster.