NEWBERG, Ore. -- After picking up their first win of the season against Lewis-Clark State the day prior, the George Fox men's tennis team recovered from early adversity to take down their second consecutive NAIA opponent, beating William Jessup, 6-1.

How It Happened
The Warriors, competing in just their second year in collegiate tennis, jumped out quickly to defeat the No. 24-ranked Bruins in two doubles matches to win the point. The duo of Lars Schmassmann and Alle Banna was the only tandem to pick up a win, taking down Jessup's Mihnea Secara and Isaac Graves, 6-1.

While Fox dropped several of the early sets in the singles, the experienced Bruins flexed their muscles to win all six matches and come away with the victory. Though Vahag Pashayan lost his second set to the Warriors' Roger Wen, the junior stormed back and dominated the third, winning the match 6-2, 3-6, 6-0.

It was a similar story for Schmassmann and Austin Stone, with both players losing their first set before responding and winning two straight — Schmassmann taking down Sam Smith 4-6, 6-3. 6-0, and Stone beating Austroberto Carlon 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. Eli Mizerski, Hunter Fujimori, and Camden Camacho, all swept their matches handily to give the Bruins a 6-1 win that was closer than the score might suggest.

Coach's Thoughts
"I thought we rebounded pretty well in singles after the hot mess that was doubles today," Bruin coach Jeff Cero said, "About an hour into singles, guys began to find their game. All in all, we have our work cut out for us, and only have up to move from here."

What Comes Next
The Bruins travel to Beaverton to face their first Division I opponent in Portland State on Feb. 10. In 2022, Fox defeated two D-I opponents. The match is set to begin at 2:00 pm.