SAN DIEGO - It was not easy, but the Point Loma men's tennis team can be very proud of the first 'W' it put in the win column this year as it battled a scrappy Holy Names team for a 6-3 victory.
 
"Holy Names is a team that we have had a close match with each time out," said Point Loma head coach Curt Wheeler. "So whether if it's a rivalry, or whatever you want to call it, it is a battle every time we play this team. It is just who wants it more and who plays best that day."
 
Today it was the Sea Lions that came through winning two of the three doubles matches before collecting four points in singles. Andre Staab and Daniel Milliken played perhaps the key match of the day at No. 1 doubles. The two doubles team battled into a tiebreaker after HNU broke PLNU's serve late. But it did not phase Staab or Milliken ever as the crowd and both teams looked on, as they prevailed in the tiebreaker 7-2.
 
"We were the ones that played better today," Wheeler said. "It feels good because we really earned it. We had to come out and play well from the start all the way to the finish.
 
"That was a huge doubles win for us," Wheeler continued. "We were tied 1-1 right there so getting that win was big momentum shift going into singles. It was a tough battle against a very good doubles team from Holy Names that they actually lost to in the fall. It was a good revenge match. They played strong, focused tennis from the start to the finish, and made a few more good shots than they did."
 
Staab went right back at it in singles, putting PLNU up 3-1, with a 6-2 and 6-1 win at No. 1s. HNU answered with wins at No. 3 and No. 4 to tie the match at 3-3. Martin Blaho put Point Loma back in front with a 6-4 and 6-4 win at No. 4s. Jack Alston seized the decisive fifth point for PLNU at No. 6 singles as he ousted Johan Talihan 6-2 and 7-5.
 
"Andre did a great job of leading us off and getting a quick win," said Wheeler. "That is something we have talked about the last few years. Getting off to that great start and maintaining it all the way though. If you can get off to that great start your opponent can lose confidence. Andre did a great job of starting strong and maintaining it."
 
"All the rest of the matches were just battles," he continued. "Jack did a great job of staying steady and that was the difference."
 
Wheeler was very proud not only the opponent in which Point Loma was able to earn its first win against, but also just by how they did it.
 
"With this being the first win of the season, and against such a tough opponent, I believe those are big things that will help us going forward from here," Wheeler explained. "We were confident being on the losing streak we were in but just getting a win is a big step forward and confidence booster. Our confidence never waived before now but getting that win in the win column is big mentally."
 
The Sea Lions will return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 24 when they host Concordia (CA) at 4:00 p.m.
 
#26 Point Loma 6, #33 Holy Names 3
Feb 20, 2016 at San Diego, CA (PLNU Tennis Courts)
Singles competition
1. Staab, Andre (PLNU-MT) def. Hugo Colpart (HNU-MT) 6-2, 6-1
2. Blaho, Martin (PLNU-MT) def. Andrew Amor (HNU-MT) 6-4, 6-4
3. Matthew Halligan (HNU-MT) def. Milliken, Daniel (PLNU-MT) 6-3, 6-3
4. Bernardo Moraes (HNU-MT) def. Tenbroeck, James (PLNU-MT) 6-3, 6-1
5. Erion, CJ (PLNU-MT) def. Nikola Solaja (HNU-MT) 6-4, 6-7, 10-6
6. Alston, Jack (PLNU-MT) def. Jonah Tahilan (HNU-MT) 6-2, 7-5
 
Doubles competition
1. Staab, Andre/Milliken, Daniel (PLNU-MT) def. Hugo Colpart/Matthew Halligan (HNU-MT) 9-8 (7-2)
2. Adam Duong/Andrew Amor (HNU-MT) def. Blaho, Martin/von Braun, Adrian (PLNU-MT) 8-5
3. Tenbroeck, James/Alston, Jack (PLNU-MT) def. Ivan Parra/Bernardo Moraes (HNU-MT) 8-4
 
Match Notes
Holy Names 2-2; National ranking #33; Regional ranking #6
Point Loma 1-5; National ranking #26; Regional ranking #5
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (1,4,3,2,6,5)
T-4:30 A-94