LUBBOCK, Texas — As is so often the case in collegiate tennis, the doubles point proved important as the St. Mary's University Men's Tennis team defeated Colorado Mesa 5-2 at the Penny Gullo Tennis Center on the Lubbock Christian campus.
"The men did a very good job battling the wind and didn't let it phase them too much," said Director of Tennis
Bill Macom. "Winning the doubles point really kept the momentum in our favor."
The Rattlers (8-1) set the tone with a 6-3 win by the number two team of
Diego Alvarez (Santa Cruz, Bolivia) and sophomore
Lucas Castillo Sanchez (Wesley Chapel, Fla.). The Mavericks' (5-7) number one duo, ranked 32nd nationally, pulled off a 6-4 win against
Leonardo Fabbri (Faenza, Italy) and
Louis Hein (Hamburg, Germany), turning all eyes to court three. Sophomore
Lincoln Baldonado (Glendale, Ariz.) and freshman
Nikita Gavrilonoks (Riga, Latvia) were able to get a late break of serve for a 7-5 victory and the initial team point.
Castillo Sanchez continued the red-hot start to his season, winning 6-0, 6-2 at line two for his eighth consecutive win in 2026 to remain perfect at 8-0.
The Mavericks won the next two points to knot the score at 2-2, winning at line three and four, but the Rattlers won the final three matches for the 5-2 win.
Junior
Leonardo Fabbri (Faenza, Italy) won in three sets to break the team tie, defeating Henry Scheck at No. 1 singles 6-2, 5-7, 6-1. Senior
Aaron Ben Anton (Remseck, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) kept things rolling for the Rattlers with a 6-3, 6-3 win on court five to clinch the team victory, and sophomore
Lincoln Baldonado (Glendale, Ariz.) dropped only two games in his 6-1, 6-1 victory at line six.
The Rattlers return home to host Washington (Mo.) on Monday at 3 p.m. and Case Western Reserve on Tuesday at 10 a.m. for the final match against a non-conference opponent.
