CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Portland Pilots dropped a 4-0 decision to No. 30 ranked and top-seeded San Diego in the semifinals of the 2016 West Coast Conference Championships Friday afternoon at the Biszantz Family Tennis Center. Portland sophomore Alex Wallace and freshman Carlos Donat were named to the all-tournament team for the No. 4 and No. 6 singles position, respectively.
The Pilots (16-8) completed the season with a strong showing against the heavily favored and more experienced Toreros (22-7).
"I don't think we have anything to be embarrassed about today," Portland head coach Aaron Gross said. "USD is by far the best team in the conference talent-wise and just had a little bit too much for us today. We had some chances in the doubles, which would have put us in a little better position going into the singles, but they just have a little too much firepower all the way through their lineup."
San Diego claimed a close doubles point to open the scoring. The Toreros won 6-3 at the No. 3 position and then won a 7-6 tiebreaker at the No. 2 spot to clinch. The score was tied 5-5 at No. 1 doubles when the point was determined.
The Toreros then started strong in singles play by winning the first set in all six matches, but the Pilots started to battle back. Sophomores Alex Wallace and Michail Pervolarakis evened their matches with second set wins at No. 3 and No. 1, respectively.
San Diego clinched points at No. 2 and No. 5 to take a 3-0 lead and then clinched the overall match when Filip Vittek outlasted sophomore Pierre Garcia in a second set tiebreaker at No. 3 singles.
"The good news is Mike was hanging in very well at No. 1 and I feel like Alex had grabbed momentum of the third set in his match," Gross noted. "But we just needed a few too many things to go right today for singles after we had lost the doubles point. A very good team like USD doesn't give you those opportunities easily. Obviously we aren't happy with the results today and that is one of the things I really like about this young team – they don't defer to anybody."
Portland's roster this season featured just one senior in Kent Andreasen. The primary singles lineup consisted of four sophomores and two true freshmen.
Despite a young roster, the Pilots posted four wins against ranked opponents while all eight losses came to teams that are currently among the top 75 in the ITA rankings.
"When we have a moment I'm sure we will sit back and look at the season and have special memories from it," Gross added. "We are also very encouraged going forward for the next couple of years with this group intact."
#30 San Diego 4, Portland 0
Claremont, Calif. (Biszantz Family Tennis Center)
WCC Championships
April 29, 2016
Singles
1. Michail Pervolarakis (POR) vs. #61 Uros Petronijevic (USD) 2-6, 7-5 unfinished
2. #67 Jordan Angus (USD) def. Mathieu Garcia (POR) 6-1, 6-4
3. Filip Vittek (USD) def. Pierre Garcia (POR) 6-2, 7-6 (5)
4. Alex Wallace (POR) vs. Jaan Kononov (USD) 2-6, 6-1, 2-2 unfinished
5. Roma Kalydjian (USD) def. Felix Fan (POR) 6-3, 6-2
6. Carlos Donat (POR) vs. Alex Araouzos (USD) 3-6, 4-5 unfinished
Doubles
1. Pervolarakis/M. Garcia (POR) vs. #89 Petronijevic/Vittek (USD) 5-5 unfinished
2. Angus/Page (USD) def. Wallace/Kent Andreasen (POR) 7-6 (3)
3. Kononov/Araouzos (USD) def. Fan/P. Garcia (POR) 6-3
Order of Finish: Singles (2,5,3) Doubles (3,2)
