ST. LOUIS -- The George Fox men's tennis team swept every set played in the first round NCAA Tournament on Thursday, taking down the Greenville Panthers in convincing fashion, 5-0.  

How It Happened
After an impressive doubles showing in the NWC Tournament two weeks prior, the Bruins kept that momentum going in Missouri. The number three doubles team of Austin Stone and Eli Mizerski was down early 2-1 before scoring six straight and winning in just thirty minutes, 8-2. Five minutes later, Hunter Fujimori and Lars Schmassmann won their match by the same score, 8-2. Rounding out doubles play, Vahag Pashayan and Camden Camacho won by a score of 8-4. 

Fox would head into singles needing two wins to secure the first round win. The Bruins grabbed their first singles win when Hunter Fujimori won his matchup without giving up a point to his opponent, 6-0, 6-0. On court three, Austin Stone went back and forth for the four points in set one before winning 6-2. Stone continued to dominate in the second set, winning, 6-1. Stone's win clinched the overall win for the Bruins, leaving Fox with four matches unfinished. The Bruins didn't drop a set in the unfinished matches, with Vahag Pashayan, Eli Mizerski, Camden Camacho, and Lars Schamassmann leading in their matches before Stones's win. 

Coach's Thoughts
"We came out and found our footing a few games into doubles; we played with good energy but had a few ups and downs throughout the day," Bruin head coach Jeff Cero said, "Overall, we got the job done, and now we are focused in on Sewanee tomorrow."

What It Means
The Bruins improve to a 13-9 record overall, while the Panthers fall to a 22-8 overall record.

What Comes Next
The Bruins return to the court tomorrow to play the second round of the NCAA tournament and are set to play against #12 Sewanee. The match will start at 12:00 p.m. PT.