THE RUNDOWN
LAS VEGAS – No. 20-ranked Midwestern State closed out play in Las Vegas on Friday with a 7-2 setback to No. 6 Azusa Pacific at the Darling Tennis Center. The Mustangs finished 2-2 against four top-20 teams to move to 8-4 on the year.
 
In doubles, sophomore Angel Palacios and freshman Alex Martinez Roca took an 8-4 decision over APU's Ryan Nuno and Jesse Haas at the No. 3 flight to improve to 8-1 on the year. Playing against a pair of top-10 doubles teams, including the nation's top-ranked tandem, the 1-0 lead for the Mustangs was short-lived. Senior Vasudev Vijayaraman and sophomore Denney Norrie lost 8-4 to the Cougar's 10th-ranked pair of Jakob Schnaitter and Tony Pejic at the No. 2 line. Junior Dillon Pineda and freshman Nolan McCaig hung with the nation's top-ranked duo of Oliver Frank and Christian Schmid before eventually falling, 8-5 at No. 1.
 
Palacios provided a bright-spot for the Maroon and Gold in singles. The reigning Lone Star Conference Player of the Week won his 10th-straight match, upsetting 26th-ranked Schnaitter, 6-2, 6-4, to improve to 11-1 on the year.
 
The Cougars quickly clinched the match in singles, winning in straight-sets on five of six courts. McCaig was unable to overcome Ronald Kang, 6-3, 6-2, at No. 4 and Pineda faltered against ninth-ranked Schmid, 6-3, 6-4, at No. 2 to move the score to 4-1. A pair of losses by Roca and Norrie at the No. 5 and No. 6 flight allowed APU to clinch the victory. Vijayaraman was unable to force a third-set against Frank, 6-4, 7-6 (6), taking the No. 2 player nationally to the wire.
 
BOX SCORE
#6 Azusa Pacific (15-0) def. #20 Midwestern State (8-4)
Friday, March 16, 2018 | 1 p.m.
Las Vegas, Nevada
Darling Tennis Center
 
Doubles
No. 1 – #1 Oliver Frank/Christian Schmid (APU) def. Dillon Pineda/Nolan McCaig (MSU) 8-5
No. 2 – #10 Jakob Schnaitter/Tony Pejic (APU) def. Vasudev Vijayaraman/Denney Norrie (MSU) 8-4
No. 3 – Alex Martinez Roca/Angel Palacios (MSU) def. Ryan Nuno/Jesse Haas (APU) 8-4
 
Singles
No. 1 – #2 Oliver Frank (APU) def. Vasudev Vijayaraman (MSU) 6-4, 7-6 (6)
No. 2 – #9 Christian Schmid (APU) def. Dillon Pineda (MSU) 6-3, 6-4
No. 3 – Angel Palacios (MSU) def. #26 Jakob Schnaitter (APU) 6-2, 6-4
No. 4 – Ronald Kang (APU) def. Nolan McCaig (MSU) 6-3, 6-2
No. 5 – Ryan Nuno (APU) def. Alex Martinez Roca (MSU) 6-4, 6-4
No. 6 – Alan Leahy (APU) def. Denney Norrie (MSU) 6-2, 6-3
 
Order of finish: Doubles (3, 2, 1); Singles (4, 2, 5, 6, 3, 1)
 
UP NEXT
Midwestern State returns to the courts on Friday, March 23, for a doubleheader matchup with Colorado State-Pueblo and Colorado Mesa in Pueblo.