Men’s tennis showed up in a big way on Feb. 10, beating Chapman University8-1 across all matches, marking Biola men’s tennis’ first win over an NCAAopponent since joining the NCAA this past year. Following three straight losses to open the 2018 season, the Eagles head home with their first win of the year under their belts.

WIN CLINCHED IN SINGLES

The Eagles came out firing with some fantastic singles’ performances to begin the day. In the number one spot, senior Lucas Lee started Biola off on the right foot with a close victory over Chapman’s Jacob Lee. Strong showings from sophomore Derek James and senior Phillip Westwood helped to sure things up, as they both won each of their two games by a score of 6-1. The men went on to win two out of their next three singles matches thanks to freshmen Logan Blair and Quentin Lau, clinching the overall team victory over the Panthers.

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

The men’s doubles partnerships also tore through their opposition, winning all three matches. Even with a victory already in the bag, the Eagles did not let up on their opponents. The dynamic duo of Lee and James combined for a solid 8-3 win in the first game against the Panthers’ doubles. Following that match, Westwood and Lau won by the largest margin of any match on the day with a score of 8-2. Senior Michael Vartuli and Freshman Logan Blair would finish off the beatdown with a slightly tighter 8-5 win.

The Eagles are now 1-3 on the season and will not need to travel anytime soon, coming back home for the next three matches. They will return to action at the Biola Tennis Center on Feb. 17 at 11 a.m. against Point Loma Nazarene University to open their PacWest schedule.