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HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i men's tennis team captured its second consecutive Western Athletic Conference Tournament title with a rousing 4-2 win over 20^th-ranked Boise State Sunday at the UH Tennis Complex. With the win the 68^th-ranked Rainbow Warriors also earned their second-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament.  

 

Third-seed Hawai'i (10-9) won the doubles point, then took three of five completed singles matches to successfully defend its 2008 WAC title won in Las Cruces, N.M. UH defeated two ranked teams en route to last year's win and did the same this year with a win over second-seeded and No. 41 Fresno State in Saturday's semifinals and Sunday's win over the top-seeded Broncos (22-7) in the finals. UH had lost to the Broncos, 6-1, in a regular-season matchup in Boise just a little more than a week ago.

 

UH took the first point of the day when they won two of three doubles matches. After dropping the first doubles match, UH's Leo Rosenberg and Andreas Weber blitzed Stanley Sarapanich and Clancy Shields at the No. 2 court, 8-4. For the second day in a row the decider fell on the shoulders of Sascha Heinemann and Craig Faulk. This time around, the tandem came through, holding off Blane Shield and Matt Solomon, 8-6. It was the first time in the last six dual matches that UH won the doubles point.

 

Hawai'i then stormed to a 3-1 lead by winning three of the first four singles matches. Senior Jeff Fitch defeated Stanley Sarapanich on the No. 5 court in straight sets and fellow senior Heinemann put UH one step away from the championship with 6-2, 6-4 decision over Cristian Hodel on the No. 4 court. It was Heinemann's team-high 12^th straight singles victory. No. 74 Kean Feedder took down No. 60 Dennis Lajola to cut the Bronco deficit to, 3-2. But not long after, Rosenberg clinched the fourth and decisive point for UH with a tight 7-6, 7-5 win over James Meredith on court No. 3.

 

The Rainbow Warriors will now await its destination and opponent for the 2009 NCAA Tournament. The men's and women's tennis selection announcements will air at approximately 5:20 p.m. Eastern time, Tuesday, Apr. 28, on ESPNews. UH traveled last year to Malibu, Calif., where they lost to 13^th ranked Pepperdine in a first-round match.

 

1. #39 Kean Feeder/James Meredith (BSU) def. Jeff Fitch/Dennis Lajola (UH) 8-3

2. Leo Rosenberg/Andreas Weber (UH) def. Stanley Sarapanich/Clancy Shields (BSU) 8-4

3. Sascha Heinemann/Craig Faulk (UH) def. Blane Shields/Matt Solomon (BSU) 8-6

 

1. #74 Kean Feeder (BSU) def. #60 Dennis Lajola (UH) 1-6, 6-3, 6-3

2. Andreas Weber (UH) vs. #26 Clancy Shields (BSU) 6-4, 3-4, unfinished

3. Leo Rosenberg (UH) def. #85 James Meredith (BSU) 7-6 (3), 7-5

4. Sascha Heinemann (UH) def. Cristian Hodel (BSU) 6-2, 6-4

5. Jeff Fitch (UH) def. Stanley Sarapanich (BSU) 6-4, 7-5

6. Blane Shields (BSU) def. Philipp Eberhard (UH) 6-2, 6-0

Kean Feeder, Boise State

Jeff Fitch, Hawai'i

Sascha Heinemann, Hawai'i

Dennis Lajola, Hawai'i

Clancy Shields, Boise State

Rudolph Siwy, Fresno State

 

Kean Feeder/James Meredith, Boise State

Jeff Fitch/Dennis Lajola, Hawai'i

Leo Rosenberg/ Andreas Weber, Hawai'i