LA MIRADA, Calif. – Linfield men's tennis was blanked 7-0 Monday by the Biola Eagles at the Biola Tennis Center in the first of two non-conference matches the Wildcats will play this week over the University's spring break.
 
It was the first ever meeting between the 'Cats (3-6, 2-2) and the Eagles (10-6, 0-0), a member of the NCAA Division-II Pacific West Conference.
 
Only one team point was awarded for doubles competition, in accordance with D-II scoring rules. Biola earned the one doubles point by taking two out of three doubles flights, played as the first to win six games, over Linfield.
 
DOUBLES
Linfield's top doubles team of Seth Lee and Rogue Stone had been hot entering the day with seven straight wins and not having lost since February 10, but faced stiff competition against Biola's top pair of Thiago Canessa and Alejandro Flores Montverde in the No. 1 doubles flight.
 
The Eagle duo threw water on Lee and Stone with a 6-0 victory to get Biola on the board. It was just the second loss of the year for Linfield's top team and the first time it has been blanked this season.
 
In the second doubles flight freshman tandem Haven Hepton and Cameron Paulsen put up a strong effort against Alessandro Cadena and Ashton Heynes, but the Eagles No. 2 team clinched the lone doubles point for Biola with a 6-4 win.
 
With doubles clinched for Biola, the No. 3 flight when unfinished with Callen Hein and Clyde Kuennen leading Alexander Rosenquist and Matous Young 5-4.
 
SINGLES
Needing three wins to clinch the match, the Eagles quickly extened their lead over the Wildcats.
 
In the No. 6 flight, Kuennen beat Abhi Acharya 6-1, 6-2, as Canessa beat Rosenquist 6-2, 6-3 in the No. 3 contest.
 
Biola clinched the win at the No. 2 spot on the ladder with Santino Serrallonga topping Rogue Stone 6-1, 6-3.
 
At No. 5 singles, Cadena beat Cody Pickar 6-2, 6-1. In the No. 4 flight, Haynes quickly took the first set over Paulsen but the Wildcat showed a nice response to force a tiebreak in the second, but Haynes still managed to win in two sets 6-1, 7-6 (7-5).
 
Lee put forth the strongest effort of the Wildcats in singles play, hanging with Patricio Larrea at No. 1 singles and also nearly forcing a third set before eventually falling in a narrow second set tiebreak for Larrea to win 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) and complete the sweep for Biola.
 
NEXT
The Wildcats continue their spring break competition on Thursday at 5:00 in San Diego at Point Loma Nazarene (8-5, 0-0), another member of the Pac-West Conference, immediately following a match between the women's programs for both schools earlier in the afternoon.
 
Linfield returns home to Oregon on Friday before travelling up to Tacoma on Easter Sunday, March 31, to resume Northwest Conference action at Puget Sound.
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