Thayne, Fuchs set to join Cougars in fall

PROVO, Utah — BYU men's tennis coach Dave Porter announced today that Wally Thayne and Zach Fuchs will join the Cougars and be eligible to play in 2021-22.

Wally Thayne | Sophomore | University of Utah | Newbury Park, Calif. 

"I am thrilled to have Wally join us in the fall," Porter said. "He's a wonderful young man and a very good tennis player. Serves and volleys, he's perfect for playing tennis at our altitude, and he's the kind of person we want at BYU. He will make the environment better and he will build the team in many ways, on and off the court."

The 6-foot-3 sophomore out of Newbury Park, California competed for the Utes during the 2019-20 season but sat out last season in preparation to enroll at BYU and be eligible to play immediately.

Thayne went 9-7 in singles play as a freshman, including 9-4 in the No. 5 position. Thayne was also 7-4 in doubles play at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions for the Utes.

A four-star recruit, Thayne also received offers from UC Irvine, San Diego State, UCLA, Fresno State, San Diego, and Pepperdine. 

Zach Fuchs | Freshman | Gonzaga University | Los Altos, Calif. 

"Zach is a big serving, powerful lefty," Porter said. Our only lefty last year was Sean Hill, who we're sorry to lose, but it's great to get another lefty and one with even bigger serves. We expect Zach to make an immediate impact on the team. We're thrilled to have him join us."

Fuchs sat out last season at Gonzaga to be eligible to play immediately at BYU. 

At Los Altos High School, Fuchs was ranked top-20 in the 18U division in Northern California. He also won an ITA title in doubles, reached the finals in a National Level 3 Tournament and the semifinals of the NorCal sectionals in doubles. 

Josh Pearce, who signed with the Cougars in 2018, will join Thayne and Fuchs this year after returning from serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.