PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland men's tennis team evened its West Coast Conference record with a 4-0 sweep against the BYU Cougars on Saturday at the Louisiana Pacific Tennis Center. The Pilots improve to 7-6 overall and 1-1 in league play, while the Cougars fall to 3-11 and 1-2 in WCC action.

Portland dominated the doubles point with a 6-1 win from Cade Fernando and Issa Yoshida at No. 3, followed by Sema Pankin and Eleftherios Neos with a 6-2 win at No. 1.

The home team maintained control throughout singles as Nicolas Ocana doubled Portland's lead with a 6-4, 6-4 win at No. 3 singles over Zach Fuchs. Neos then held on for a 7-5, 6-4 win against Wally Thayne at No. 2 singles.

Pankin provided the clinching point at the top of the lineup with a 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 win against Jack Barnett. Portland was also leading the two other in-progress matches with Nikolas Tvedt ahead 5-2 and Maxim Groysman leading 3-2 at the No. 4 and No. 5 positions, respectively.

"I think we played a pretty complete match this afternoon," Portland head coach Aaron Gross said. "Our doubles was very solid, probably the best that we have played this season. Lefty (Neos) had an excellent win to push our lead right when we needed it and Sema got to clinch for a change. Usually he's in the first-round matches and he doesn't have the opportunity, but it was fun and exciting to see him finish a good conference win for us. It was last time we will play BYU since they are moving conferences and it was very nice to get a win on our last meeting."

Portland returns to action next weekend in the Bay Area with a pair of WCC matches. The Pilots visit Santa Clara on Friday at 11 a.m. and then take on San Francisco on Saturday at noon.

Portland 4, Brigham Young 0
Portland, Ore. (Louisiana Pacific Tennis Center)
March 25, 2023

Singles
1. Sema Pankin (POR) def. Jack Barnett (BYU) 6-4, 1-6, 7-5
2. Eleftherios Neos (POR) def. Wally Thayne (BYU) 7-5, 6-4
3. Nicolas Ocana (POR) def. Zach Fuchs (BYU) 6-4, 6-4
4. Nikolas Tvedt (POR) vs. Dominik Jakovljevic (BYU) 5-2, unfinished
5. Maxim Groysman (POR) vs. Redd Owen (BYU) 3-2, unfinished
6. Issa Yoshida (POR) vs. Brigham Andrus (BYU) not started

Doubles
1. Neos/Pankin (POR) def. Fuchs/Thayne (BYU) 6-2
2. Ocana/Tvedt (POR) vs. Jakovljevic/Barnett (BYU) 5-2, unfinished
3. Cade Fernando/Yoshida (POR) def. Andrus/Owen (BYU) 6-1

Match Notes:
Brigham Young 3-11, 1-2 WCC
Portland 7-6, 1-1 WCC
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (3,2,1,)