The Pacific University men's tennis team started the 2018 season and the Pete Yellico era with a 7-2 win over Hardin-Simmons, a NCAA Division III team out of Abilene, Texas. It is the first season opening win for Pacific since the 2015 campaign, when they defeated Hawaii-Hilo by a 7-2 margin.

The Boxers (1-0) started the day, sweeping all three doubles matches. Pacific No. 1 doubles team of Oscar Wight (Adelaide, Australia) and Sage Katayama (Mililani, Hawaii) began the match with an 8-1 win. Pacific picked up its next win at No. 2 doubles when Sean Murphy (Palos Verdes, Calif.) and Jonathan Chung (San Jose, Calif.), who posted an 8-3 victory. The final doubles win came at the No. 3 flight when the duo of Ford Nakagawa (Aiea, Hawaii) and Rayden Murata (Honolulu, Hawaii) closed out doubles with a 9-7 victory. 

"Going up 3-0 in doubles was the key to our victory," said Yellico. "Taking that momentum into singles really helped our guys relax and swing freely. The men competed very well today, given it was our first match of the season. The entire team maintained a high level of intensity and focus in their matches."

As the match shifted to singles, Murphy became the first Boxer to win with a 6-3, 6-2 win at No.4 singles. Minutes later, Chung clinched the match with a 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 3 singles. 

The Cowboys (1-3) picked up wins at No. 1 and No. 2 singles in a pair of three-set matches. 

The next win for Pacific came when Nakagawa was a 6-1, 6-0 winner at No. 5. The final winner on the day for the Boxers was Murata, who posted a 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-8) win at No. 5 singles.

Next up for Pacific is a matchup against NCAA Division I member Northern Colorado on Sunday at 10 a.m. at the Holce Tennis Courts. 

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Photo Gallery by Tanner Boyle and Trevis Fong | Pacific Men's Tennis vs. Hardin-Simmons by Pacific Boxers