The elusive title of Big Sky Champion became a reality for Sacramento State men’s tennis after they reigned supreme over Northern Arizona in the championship match on Saturday.
This title is the first for the Hornets since 2013 for the men’s tennis program and is the 12th championship title in program history. Senior Mate Voros added another accomplishment for the team’s season by winning the Big Sky Tournament MVP for winning performances in his doubles and singles.
“We earned it,” Sac State men’s tennis head coach Kevin Kurtz said. “Everybody competed at the highest level and it wasn’t easy, but we got it done and it wasn’t a super close one.”
The Hornets defeated Idaho State in the semifinals, 4-2. Sac State won the doubles, but had a tough time in singles. Seniors Mark Keki, Jan Silva and Voros were able to overcome their opponents and punched the Hornet’s ticket to the championship.
Northern Arizona was the No. 1 team in the conference and the only team in the conference that had beaten the Hornets during the regular season.
Keki and Voros won their doubles match 6-4, but Silva and sophomore Adam Chodur lost theirs, 6-3. It was up to senior Jiri Novak and junior Hayden Rand to help the Hornets get the doubles point.
The pair got the match to a tiebreaker and after giving up the first two points, they went on a 7-1 run to win the tiebreaker, secure the doubles point and get the Hornets one step closer to some new hardware.
“I was just trying to win it for my boys,” Rand said. “The doubles point is so crucial and I knew if we won that doubles point that we would have a good chance to win.”
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Voros had the match-clinching point in the semifinals against Idaho State, but he would have to have his best performance against NAU’s junior Dani Torres.
Kurtz said Torres was the best player for the Lumberjacks.
“You could say it was a breezy match at Sac State, so it was a big revenge, especially against him,” Voros said.
Torres’ previous performance against Voros would seem to justify that statement. Torres chopped up Voros in the regular season at Sac State’s tennis courts, defeating him in two sets, 6-4 and 6-0.
“I’m a senior, that was my last college match, so I was ready to die on the court today,” Voros said. “I brought my best match of my college career life in the three years I was here at Sac State. It was perfect timing.”
Voros finished his singles match first with both sets’ final scores being 6-3.
Novak lost a tough match, 6-4 and 6-3 against junior Piotr Galus.
The Big Sky Regular Season MVP Keki wouldn’t allow the Hornets to lose momentum though as he defeated senior Dominik Buzonics, 6-2 and 7-5.
The final match to finish was Chodur against senior Maciej Ziomber.
Chodur was a game away from dropping the first set, but found a way to fight back. By playing smarter and keeping more balls in play, Chodur won four games in a row and took the first set 7-5.
Chodur took advantage of Ziomber’s frustration of losing the first set by cruising to a 6-2 second set win and clinching the championship for the Hornets.
“As soon as the guy misses, we just ran and it was just a whole bunch of emotions,” Keki said. “It’s amazing. One of the best feelings I’ve felt on a tennis court for sure.”
The men’s tennis team will play in the NCAA Tournament against the No. 2 seeded Texas on Friday, May 3.
