No. 23 Wolf Pack sweeps singles, beats Hope International

NEW ORLEANS – After a late match Thursday night, the No. 23 Loyola Wolf Pack men's tennis team returned to the Dillard Tennis Facility Friday morning to face Hope International. The Pack lost the doubles point but rallied in singles, winning on all six courts to take the match 6-1. 

Winners of two of the last three matches, Loyola is now 5-4 on the season.

Hope International had a quick start to the match, winning 6-1 at court 3 doubles before Sam Izrael and Samuel Motazed tied up doubles with a 6-3 win, their fourth straight. The first point of the match came down to court 1 doubles, where the Royals won 6-4.

Despite losing the doubles point, the Pack turned things around in singles competition. Alfredo Gallegos dropped the opening set in his court 5 match but stormed back to get the win in three sets (1-6, 6-1, 6-1), improving to a team-best 7-2 in singles. Remus Hebhang-Balan went to a tiebreak in his first set, which he won and eventually took the match on court 1 ((7-6 (7-4, 7-5)). Hippolyte de Preville had the third win for the Pack, toughing out a three-set win on court 3 (6-3, 3-6, 6-2). 

The match was clinched for the Wolf Pack by Spencer Matz, who won at No. 4 singles in quick fashion, 6-0, 6-2. Freshman Jett Nguyen played his first dual match in a Wolf Pack uniform, and he turned in an impressive 6-1, 6-1 result on court 6. Izrael closed out the match, winning a three-setter on court 2. 

Next on the schedule, the Pack will face its second top-10 NAIA opponent of the season, No. 7-ranked Our Lady of the Lake. The match is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Sunday at the XULA Tennis Center. 

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Results

#23 Loyola – 6

Hope International – 1

Doubles
1. Elsheikh/Reid Lizardo (HIU) def. #42 Hebhang-Balan/Indrabalan (LOYNO) 6-4
2. Izrael/Motazed (LOYNO) def. Ricky Lizardo/Hamp (HIU) 6-3
3. Kento Henderson/Kaito Henderson (HIU) Ashworth/De Preville (LOYNO) 6-1
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1

Singles
1. Remus Hebhang-Balan (LOYNO) def. Reid Lizardo (HIU) 7-6 (7-4), 7-5
2. Sam Izrael (LOYNO) def. Ricky Lizardo (HIU) 6-3, 3-6, 7-5
3. #26 Hippolyte de Preville (LOYNO) def. Yahia Elsheikh (HIU) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
4. Spencer Matz (LOYNO) def. Thomas Folsom (HIU) 6-0, 6-2
5. Alfredo Gallegos (LOYNO) def. Kento Henderson (HIU) 1-6, 6-1, 6-1 
6. Jett Nguyen (LOYNO) def. Dylan Barrett (HIU) 6-1, 6-1
Order of finish: 5, 1, 3, 4, 6, 2