SAN ANTONIO – Trinity University Men's Tennis collected an 8-1 victory over Our Lady of the Lake University Friday night at the Butch Newman Tennis Center, just a line-three superbreaker away from the first shutout of the 2023 campaign.
 
The Tigers (1-1) swept doubles in reverse lineup order as juniors Rob Chang (Aeia, Hawaii / 'lolani School) and Dalton Locke (Humble, Texas / Kingwood) lit up the scoreboard first, 8-3, from the third line.
 
Senior Hao Nguyen (Sugar Land, Texas / Strake Jesuit) and sophomore Eric Liao (Taipei, Taiwan / Boca Prep [FL]) won their doubles debut, 8-5, in line two to set the stage for senior Alessio Azzalini (Rome, Italy / Istituto Visconti) and first-year Rafa Candelas Ruiz (Zacatecas, Mexico / American [ESP]) to complete the doubles sweep, 8-6.
 
First-year Aashish Dhanani (Austin, Texas / Westwood) was the first of three straight-sets victories to report back to the book from the fifth line of singles action, 6-3, 6-2, ahead of the seniors at the top of the lineup. Azzalini's 6-4, 6-1 output in line one clinched the match just ahead of Nguyen's second-line 6-3, 6-2 performance.
 
The remainder of the lineup ventured into a third set with Candelas Ruiz the only one to have opened the third frame ahead of Azzalini's final to play a full set. After a shutout win in his first, the Tiger rookie recovered from a 6-4 setback to win the sixth line, 6-3, in the third.
 
Liao and senior Cameron Goldstein (Dallas, Texas / Episcopal) played similar scripts to Candelas Ruiz as each went into the third having won their first set, though each played a superbreaker. Goldstein rallied for a 10-7 victory just after Liao ceded his third frame, 10-3.
 
Trinity Men's Tennis plays its first road matches of the season next Friday with a visit to NCAA I Abilene Christian University, who will also host the Tigers' matchup with Tyler Junior College. Trinity returns to San Antonio February 12 to host Concordia University (TX) at 9:30 a.m.