By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Idaho State University from NCAA Division I defeated Willamette University, 7-0, in men's tennis on Friday, Feb. 9 in the Bearcats' season opener at the Salem Tennis and Swim Club. ISU, which is a member of the Big Sky Conference, improved to 3-2 on the season. Willamette, which plays in the Northwest Conference and is a member of NCAA Division III, fell to 0-1. The match was played using NCAA Division I scoring, which provides one point to the team that wins two or all three doubles matches. Each singles match was worth one point in the team standings.

Idaho State swept the doubles matches with identical 6-1 scores at all three positions. The #1 doubles match was won by David Felix and Peter Trhac against Aaron Schechter (Jr., Seattle, WA/James A. Garfield HS) and Colin Fisher (So., Caldwell, ID/Thomas Jefferson Charter School). At #2 doubles, William Edin and Adam Hornby downed Willamette's team of Gene Perle-Jones (So., Eugene, OR/North Eugene HS) and Owen Burcham (Fr., Portland, OR/Wilson HS). Keegan Sullivan and Austin Gwilliam won #3 doubles over Luke Hiserman (Fr., Monterey, CA/Pacific Grove HS) and David Liang (Fr., Beijing, China/Bellevue Christian School, Wash.).

The Bengals won all six singles matches in straight sets, while losing only two games. Felix defeated Schechter in #1 doubles, 6-0, 6-1. Francis Filipovich downed Perle-Jones, 6-1, 6-0 at #3 doubles. Other winners for ISU in singles were Trhac at #2, Edin at #4, Sullivan at #5 and Gwilliam at #6.

Willamette will return to action with an exhibition match against Community College of Spokane on Friday, Feb. 16. Match time is set for 5 p.m. (PST) at the Courthouse Tennis Center (1379 Madison St. NE, Salem, Oregon).