The GCU Men’s tennis team headed to California for their first road trip of the year. The Lopes played Loyola Marymount on Friday and finished the trip off in Irvine, California to face the previous Big West Conference Champions UC Irvine.

The Lopes faced a tough loss against LMU on Friday falling 3-4.

After losing the doubles point, they battled back in singles play.

On Court 1 and 4, sophomores Andreas Loizas and Diordan Macababbad lost to Max Wuelfing and Kuba Hyrnkiewicz from LMU.

Over on Court 3 sophomore Daniel Jankoski got the Lopes started by defeating Cyrus Ahmad 7-5, 6-2.

However, the Lions clinched the match on Court 2 as sophomore Tristan Berard won the first set 6-3 but lost the next two 3-6, 3-6.

The rest of the matches were played out where junior Charlie Pade won his match in comeback fashion 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Wrapping it up on Court 5 for the Lopes, junior Brice Patoux defeated Alex Padro 7-6, 2-6, 7-5.

GCU then headed over to The Racquet Club of Irvine to take on the Anteaters in front of a packed crowd. The Lopes dominated, winning 6-1 in the last leg of the road trip.

The Lopes took care of business quickly in the doubles matches with Berard and Loizas defeating UC Irvine 6-2, over on court 3 Macababbad and Pade picked up their second win as a duo 7-5.

Over in singles play Berard won the first match for the Lopes defeating Tal Goodman 6-2, 6-4.

Over on Court 6, Pade, who is currently undefeated on the year, went to work in three sets winning 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.

Jankoski took another on Court 3 to clinch the match for the Lopes. Jankoski had an intense first set winning in a tiebreaker (10-8) before losing the second set 1-6 and eventually taking the final set 6-3.

The two teams played out the rest of the matches on Court 4 and 5 where Macababbad and Patoux secured victories. 

Macababbad kept his comeback streak alive winning 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 and Patoux defeated Ruining Huang 4-6, 6-2, 7-6.

“That was a big road win for our team” said Coach Ross Wilson, “The guys kept battling, winning all four of the three set matches against a tough UC Irvine team.

The 6-1 Lopes have a couple weeks off before they face NAU at home on February 13th.