SANTA CLARA, Calif. (UNLVRebels.com) – The 74th-ranked UNLV men's tennis team continued its daunting road schedule, which has already included four matches at ranked opponents in the state of California, and fell short, 4-2, vs. No. 40 Santa Clara on Sunday at Degheri Tennis Stadium.   
 
The Rebels dropped to 6-4 while the Broncos of the West Coast Conference improved to 9-2.
 
Missing a starter because of injury, UNLV's doubles lineup was scrambled and the hosts took advantage, winning both completed matches by the score of 6-4 to earn a key 1-0 lead.
 
UNLV rallied in singles play early, winning the first set on four of six courts. Santa Clara got a quick win at No. 6 before the Rebels got on the board with Marko Maksimovic's 6-3, 6-3 victory over Luca Lemaitre at the second position. Illia Snitari, ranked 50th, would tie things up with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Alexander Eriksson at the top to already reach the 20-win mark against just two defeats as a sophomore. Santa Clara, however, took a battle on court four and rallied for a three-set clinching win at No. 3 to end things.
 
UP NEXT: UNLV will open Mountain West play by hosting Grand Canyon on Friday starting with doubles play at 1 p.m. Admission to all matches at the Fertitta Tennis Complex is free of charge.
 
Men's Tennis Match Results
#40 SANTA CLARA 4, #74 UNLV 2
Feb. 22, 2026, at Santa Clara, CA
(Degheri Tennis Stadium)

Singles competition
1. #50 Ilia Snitari (UNLVMT) def. Alexander W Eriksson (SCUMTEN) 6-2, 6-3
2. Marko Maksimovic (UNLVMT) def. Luca Lemaitre (SCUMTEN) 6-3, 6-3
3. John Kim (SCUMTEN) def. Illia Maksymchuk (UNLVMT) 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 6-4
4. Lukas Maskow (SCUMTEN) def. Michael Kouame (UNLVMT) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4
5. Valentin Faure (SCUMTEN) vs. Vitaliy Horovoy (UNLVMT) 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 2-1, unfinished
6. Luca Bluett (SCUMTEN) def. Taiyo Hirano (UNLVMT) 6-3, 6-1
 
Doubles competition
1. #19 Luca Bluett/John Kim (SCUMTEN) vs. Marko Maksimovic/Illia Maksymchuk (UNLVMT) 5-5, DNF
2. Tiago Boschmans/Luca Lemaitre (SCUMTEN) def. Taiyo Hirano/Michael Kouame (UNLVMT) 6-4
3. Valentin Faure/Ferran Redza (SCUMTEN) def. Vitaliy Horovoy/Ilia Snitari (UNLVMT) 6-4
 
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (6,2,1,4,3)