PHOENIX—Idaho men's tennis cruised past Montana, 4-0, claiming its second Big Sky Championship in the last three years on Saturday.

"We have a quality group of guys," head coach Abid Akbar exclaimed. "I had faith in them from the start. It has been their hard work and will all season long that has taken them to the top. I am happy for the team and they deserve all the credit."

The Vandals began strong and never let up. Idaho scored a pair of 6-2 wins in doubles to gain the early 1-0 advantage. Mark Kovacs and Carlos Longhi Neto continued to rip through the opposition at the No. 1 position, earning the first leg of the point. Esteban Santibanez and Lucas Coutinho sealed the point for Idaho at No. 2. The Vandals were also up, 4-3, on No. 3 before point was decided.

Idaho's youth stepped up in singles. All three wins came from the team's freshmen. Santibanez picked up the first singles tally. He recorded a quick 6-0, 6-1 win over Alex Canellopoulos at No. 4. Longhi Neto played to a strong 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 3.

The deciding point came from Guilherme Scarpelli from the No. 6 position. He went 6-4, 6-3, securing the championship for the Vandals.

"Last year we came as close as you can get," Akbar added. "The guys turned around and really showed character and grit to reclaim the title without dropping a set."

Idaho will now wait to learn their destination for the NCAA Tournament. The 2017 NCAA Men's Tennis Selection show will stream live on NCAA.com beginning at 2 p.m. PT on Tuesday, May 2.
 

Singles competition

1. Kovacs, Mark (UI) vs. CASADEVALL, Victor (UM) 7-6 (7-5), 4-2, unfinished

2. Fonseca, Felipe (UI) vs. SCHMIDL, Yannick (UM) 7-6 (8-6), 3-2, unfinished

3. Longhi Neto, Carlos (UI) def. MIMNAGH-FLEMING, P. (UM) 6-3, 6-2

4. Santibanez, Esteban (UI) def. CANELLOPOULOS, Alex (UM) 6-0, 6-1

5. Coutinho,Lucas (UI) vs. KORKH, Max (UM) 7-5, 3-4, unfinished

6. Scarpelli, Guilherme (UI) def. TEJERINA, Ignacio (UM) 6-4, 6-3

 

Doubles competition

1. Kovacs, Mark/Longhi Neto, Carlos (UI) def. MIMNAGH-FLEMING, P./KORKH, Max (UM) 6-2

2. Santibanez, Esteban/Coutinho,Lucas (UI) def. SCHMIDL, Yannick/CANELLOPOULOS, Alex (UM) 6-2

3. Fonseca, Felipe/Scarpelli, Guilherme (UI) vs. CASADEVALL, Victor/HALLGREN, Ludvig (UM) 4-3, unfinished

 

Match Notes

Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (4,3,6)