SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.--University of Hawai'i men's tennis team (10-8, 3-3 Big West) came from behind to edge out Cal Poly (6-10, 1-3 BW), 4-3 in their final regular season match of 2023. In a true team effort, Hawai'i battled their way back after trailing 0-2 early for the victory. With the match knotted at 3-3, Axel Labrunie pulled away to clinch the match to give the Rainbow Warriors its second-straight season with double digit wins for the first time since 2009 & '10.

The Mustangs started the match with an early 1-0 lead after capturing the doubles point with wins on the No. 1 and No. 2 court.

But in singles, the Rainbow Warriors fought their way back. Although the Mustangs went up 2-0 as Joe Leather defeated UH's Vojta Vlkovsky, 6-2, 6-2 on the No. 2 court, UH then reeled off three-straight wins to take a 3-2 lead. On the No. 5 court, Hawai'i's Kilian Maitre held off Bastiaan Westrate ending in  a tiebreaker where Maitre almost tossed a shutout, 6-3, 7-6 (1).  At No. 1, it was a battle between two ranked players--Hawai'i's 91st-ranked Andre Ilagan and Cal Poly's 92nd-ranked Noah Berry. Berry dominated the first set, and led 3-0 in the second set before Ilagan won six-straight games to take the second set and force a third set. With the win, Ilagan tied the match at 2-2. UH's No. 6 Karl Collins' straight-set, 7-6 (4), 6-3 win over Zachary Pellouchoud vaulted UH into the lead at 3-2. But Cal Poly rallied as No. 4 Colter Smith evened things at 3-3 defeating UH's Guillaume Tattevin 7-6 (3), 6-3 

The match hinged on the results on the No. 3 court. Axel Labruinie won his first set over Fonseca but then dropped the second. Labruinie then pulled away in the third set to clinch the win, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. 

Under head coach Joël Kusnierz, the Rainbow Warriors have now recorded four-straight winning seasons. That is the most winning seasons in a row since UH won 12 straight from 1981-'92.

The Rainbow Warriors look to take the momentum from this win into the Big West Tournament which begins on Friday, April 28 at the Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego, Calif..  Currently, Hawai'i is in fourth place with a 3-3 conference record. 

Hawaii 4, Cal Poly 3
4/16/2023 at San Luis Obispo, CA
(Mustang Tennis Complex)

Singles competition
1. #91 Andre Ilagan (UH) def. #92 Noah Berry (CP) 1-6, 6-3, 6-3
2. Joe Leather (CP) def. Vojta Vlkovsky (UH) 6-2, 6-2
3. Axel Labrunie (UH) def. Fernando Fonseca (CP) 6-2, 4-6, 6-1
4. Colter Smith (CP) def. Guillaume Tattevin (UH) 7-6 (7-3), 6-3
5. Kilian Maitre (UH) def. Bastiaan Weststrate (CP) 6-3, 7-6 (7-1)
6. Karl Collins (UH) def. Zachary Pellouchoud (CP) 7-6 (7-4), 6-3

Doubles competition
1. Noah Berry/Fernando Fonseca (CP) def. Lucas Labrunie/Andre Ilagan (UH) 6-0
2. Colter Smith/Bastiaan Weststrate (CP) def. Axel Labrunie/Kilian Maitre (UH) 6-4
3. Ben Keyser/Joe Leather (CP) vs. Karl Collins/Vojta Vlkovsky (UH) 5-5, unfinished

Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (2,5,1,6,4,3)