Linfield University Athletics

BEAVERTON, Ore. – Playing against a Division I opponent to start the season, the Linfield Wildcats fell 7-0 against the Portland State Vikings at the Babette Horenstein Tennis Center on Saturday.
 
This was the lone match outside of Northwest Conference opponents for the Wildcats, who start the season 0-1. The Vikings are now 2-3 to start their season.
 
"It was so great to be back on the court competing. Facing opposition for the first time in a while was so important for us and gave us a ton of feedback in preparation for the conference schedule," said coach Ben Belletto.
 
DOUBLES
Linfield's Michael Manion and Cameron Ventura took on Portland State's Matteo Fortini and Tommy Edwards in the first doubles match. Fortini and Edwards won 6-2.
 
Tommy Hsu and Nils Plutat defeated the Wildcats' second doubles team of Blake Fuentes Gilbert and Nick Gabelman by a socre of 6-2. This match marked the collegiate debut for Gabelman, a freshman from Boise, Idaho.
 
In the final doubles match that was the last doubles match to finish, Portland State's tandem of Bryan Husin and Sam Roberts downed Linfield's Ethan Myers and Josef Shum, 6-0. 
 
SINGLES
Vikings won all six singles matches to close out the 7-0 sweep of the Wildcats. The first match to finish was second singles. Manion fell 6-0, 6-0 to Edwards.
 
Plutat defeated Shum, 6-0, 6-0 at the fourth singles spot in the second match to finish. Ventura lost 6-1, 6-2 to Nikola Dimitrijevic at the third singles spot.
 
Hsu downed Myers 6-0, 6-0 at fifth singles and Husin defeated Gabelman 6-0, 6-1 at sixth singles.
 
The final singles match to finish was the No. 1 singles match, Fortini defeated Fuentes Gilbert 6-0, 6-3.
 
"Blake played well today, as did Cameron. There's so much to build on and I can't wait to get back at it," added Belletto.
 
UP NEXT
Linfield takes on Whitworth on March 6 at 2 p.m. to start Northwest Conference play. The two teams are also scheduled to play a non-conference match on March 7 at the Linfield Tennis Center.