Fresno State downs Idaho, 4-2, to exit the WAC with its second-straight title
Fresno State beat Idaho Sunday, 4-2, for its second-consecutive Western Athletic Conference Championship in Las Cruces, N.M.
Top-seeded Fresno State also had three Bulldogs named to the All-Tournament team in singles: seniors Remi Boutillier and David Ayoun and sophomore Francis Alcantara. Boutillier and Alcantara were also named to the All-Tournament doubles team.
The Bulldogs (20-4) dropped the doubles point to the Vandals (14-14) by a 2-0 decision to start the match. Junior Zach Leslie and Ayoun fell, 8-3, to Abid Akbar and Andrew Dobbs on court two. Boutillier and Alcantara lost, 8-5, to Jose Bendeck and Cristobal Ramos on court one to give the Vandals an early, 1-0 advantage in the match and leave the third doubles match unfinished.
The Bulldogs, however, turned things around in singles play, sweeping the first three singles matches behind Boutillier, Alcantara and Jean-Charles Diame. Alcantara stared the Bulldog run with a 6-4, 6-2, defeat over Akbara while Boutillier followed suit in a 6-3, 6-2 win over Marius Cirstea. Diame earned the Bulldogs’ third singles point in a 6-1, 6-2, victory over Ramos to leave the Bulldogs just one singles win away from the championship.
The Vandals delayed the Bulldogs’ championship win on court six as Alan Shin downed freshman Reid DeLaubenfels, 7-5, 6-3, to make the score 3-2.
But Leslie came back to clinch the championship for Fresno State in three sets over Cesar Torres, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. Ayoun’s match was left unfinished as the ‘Dogs clinched the WAC championship but was ahead 6-3, 4-6, 4-2 when Leslie got the winning point.
In his eighth season as Bulldog head coach, Jay Udwadia was named the 2012 WAC Coach of the Year, his second consecutive honor.
Boutillier was named WAC Player of the Year and was also named to the All-WAC first team. Also earning All-WAC honors were singles first-teamers Alcantara and Diame. Boutillier and Alcantara were also selected to first-team doubles.
Second-team selections include Ayoun in singles, and Ayoun and Leslie in doubles.
