LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV men's tennis team opened its Mountain West schedule in thrilling fashion Friday evening, rallying past Boise State 4-3 at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.
 
Playing under the lights, the Rebels improved to 12-4 overall and 11-1 in Las Vegas while the Broncos saw their four-match winning streak snapped to fall to 10-4 overall.
 
UNLV took the key doubles point by winning the first two completed matches. However, the visitors won the first set on four of six courts in singles play. Despite a straight-set win by senior Richard Solberg, Boise State would go on to take a 3-2 lead before Jordan Sauer tied things with a win on court three. All eyes moved to the top of the lineup where Rebel Eric Samuelsson and Jack Heslin split sets. The team match would come down to the third set and Samuelsson was up to the challenge, eventually emerging 6-7, 6-2, 6-2 before being mobbed my his teammates.
 
REBEL OF THE MATCH: Samuelsson teamed with Clayton Alenik to win at the top of the doubles lineup, 6-2, and then turned in the aforementioned theatrics to clinch in singles.
 
NET NOTES: Las Vegas native Alenik tasted defeat for the first time in a dual match this season as his 7-5, 6-1 loss to Simon Arca on court five dropped him to 11-1 as a sophomore … The Rebels downed the Broncos for only the fifth time in 14 all-time meetings.
 
QUOTABLE: "Tonight we had our hands full with a much-improved Boise State. The guys really stepped up in coming back to win. Thanks to everyone who came out support the Rebels tonight. The energy was great out there."
-UNLV Head Coach Owen Hambrook
 
NEXT FOR THE REBELS: UNLV will host in-state rival UNR next Friday starting at 5 p.m. Admission is free of charge.
 
Men's Tennis Match Results
UNLV 4, BOISE STATE 3
March 29, 2019, at Las Vegas, NV
(Fertitta Tennis Complex)

Singles competition
1. Eric Samuelsson (UNLV) def. Jack Heslin (BSU) 6-7, 6-2, 6-2
2. Luka Soskic (BSU) def. Olle Thestrup (UNLV) 6-2, 6-2
3. Jordan Sauer (UNLV) def. Max Blancaneaux (BSU) 6-2, 7-5
4. Richard Solberg (UNLV) def. Simon Stenlund (BSU) 6-3, 6-2
5. Simon Arca Costas (BSU) def. Clayton Alenik (UNLV) 7-5, 6-1
6. Wyatt DeMulling (BSU) def. Milos Dabic (UNLV) 6-2, 6-4
 
 Doubles competition
1. Clayton Alenik/Eric Samuelsson (UNLV) def. Wyatt DeMulling/Stefan Lalovic (BSU) 6-2
2. Jordan Sauer/Olle Thestrup (UNLV) def. Simon Arca Costas/Jack Heslin (BSU) 7-5
3. Richard Solberg/Milos Dabic (UNLV) vs. Luka Soskic/Simon Stenlund (BSU) 5-5, unfinished
 
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (2,4,5,6,3,1)