UH-Hilo’s tennis team lost the battle, but that doesn’t mean it lost the war.
The Vulcans will find out Tuesday if they get a chance to host a regional, which seems somewhat likely even after they fell short Saturday in their first trip to the Pacific West Conference championship match.
Azusa Pacific came out on top Saturday in Surprise, Ariz., taking four singles matches to a reverse trend that saw it lose in the previous five PacWest finals, handing the Vuls their first loss against a Division II opponent.
UH-Hilo (16-1) entered ranked No. 1 in the West Region thanks to a 7-2 win earlier this season at Azusa, but the Cougars (25-2) were too tough in singles play this time, easily erasing two losses in doubles.
Ronald Kang defeating the Vuls’ Alex Fillat Perez at Court 4, No. 3-ranked Oliver Frank downed No. 28 Vaclav Slezak at Court 1 6-3, 6-4, and Alan Leahy took down Gregory Zukeran (6-2, 6-4) as everyone to rushed to Court 2, where Christian Schmid was trying loss to avenge a previous loss to Alessandro Alessandro Giuliato.
Schmid’s 6-4, 7-5 win sent Azusa sprinting on to the court to mob the German, and it sent the Vuls back home but not out. They’ll await Tuesday’s selection process.
Singles
#3 Oliver Frank (APU) def. #28 Vaclav Slezak (UHH), 6-3, 6-4.
# 36 Christian Schmid (APU) def. #55 Alessandro Giuliato (UHH), 6-4, 7-5.
Chun En Wu (UHH) vs. #43 Jakob Schnaitter (APU) 1-6, 6-3, 2-3 (unfinished).
Ronald Kang (APU) def. Alex Fillat Perez (UHH), 6-0, 6-4.
Arturo Dell`eva (UHH) vs. Ryan Nuno (APU), 6-4, 4-6, 1-2 (unfinished).
Allan Leahy (APU) def. Gregory Zukran (UHH), 6-2, 6-4.
Doubles
Frank\Schnaitter (APU) def. #21 Slezak\Giuliato (UHH), 8-4.
Fillat Perez\Bruno Figlia (UHH) def. Pejic\Schmid (APU), 8-7 (8-6).
Zukeran\Wu (UHH) def. Jesse Haas\Nuno (APU), 8-5.