PHOENIX—The Idaho men's tennis team booked its return trip to the Big Sky Tennis Championship match. The No. 2 Vandals swept No. 3 Sacramento State, 4-0, on Friday to earn the right to play for the conference title.

Idaho, the 2015 Big Sky champs, will take on No. 4 Montana in the championship. The Griz defeated top-seeded Northern Arizona, 4-3, Friday morning. It will be Idaho's third straight trip to the championship match.

"The team fought like champions today," head coach Abid Akbar explained after the win. "That will be our motto tomorrow. If they fight their hardest, the way they did today, we will take the result no matter what. This is a great group of guys. They fight for each other and it shows out there."

The Silver and Gold pounced on the Hornets early. The Vandals secured the doubles points with a pair of wins. Felipe Fonseca and Guilherme Scarpelli opened the day with a 6-3 win at No. 3. Mark Kovacs and Carlos Longhi Neto closed the door on doubles with a 6-4 win at No.1.

It took Idaho just three singles matches to advance to Saturday. Fonseca earned Idaho's first singles win, going 6-3, 6-1 over Sacramento State's Dom Miller at No. 2. A pair of freshman sealed the deal for the Vandals. Carlos Longi Neto picked up a 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 3, giving the Vandals a 3-0 cushion. Esteban Santibanez clinched the win for Idaho with his 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 win at No. 3

Idaho led in the two of the remaining three matches that were abandoned.

Saturday's final is set for 10 a.m. PT. Live stats will be available and can be found on the schedule page.
 

Singles competition

1. Kovacs, Mark (UI) vs. Losbergs, Mikus (SAC) 6-1, 2-6, 5-4, unfinished

2. Fonseca, Felipe (UI) def. Miller, Dom (SAC) 6-3, 6-1

3. Longhi Neto, Carlos (UI) def. Zemaitelis, Kasparas (SAC) 6-2, 6-4

4. Santibanez, Esteban (UI) def. Chabut, Louis (SAC) 6-2, 3-6, 6-2

5. Coutinho,Lucas (UI) vs. Clayton, Christopher (SAC) 7-6 (7-4), 3-2, unfinished

6. Scarpelli, Guilherme (UI) vs. Legaspi, Hermont (SAC) 5-7, 6-3, unfinished

 

Doubles competition

1. Kovacs, Mark/Longhi Neto, Carlos (UI) def. Zemaitelis, Kasparas/Losbergs, Mikus (SAC) 6-4

2. Santibanez, Esteban/Coutinho,Lucas (UI) vs. Chabut, Louis/HALL, Donald (SAC) 5-3, unfinished

3. Fonseca, Felipe/Scarpelli, Guilherme (UI) def. Clayton, Christopher/Miller, Dom (SAC) 6-3

 

Match Notes

Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (2,3,4)