Sacred Heart University Department of Athletics
Mount Saint Marys (Md.)
Pioneers Come Up Short in 4–3 Marathon Against Mount St. Mary’s
2/22/2026 6:41:00 PM | Men's Tennis
TRUMBULL, CONN. – The Sacred Heart men's tennis team fell to Mount St. Mary's, 4–3, in a tightly contested Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) matchup on Saturday evening at the Tennis Club of Trumbull.
The Pioneers opened strong by securing the doubles point, with the action concluding in the order of No. 3, No. 2, and No. 1. Vayo Rodriguez and Martin Macias set the tone with a 6–3 victory at No. 3 doubles. After Mount St. Mary's evened the doubles field at No. 2, Tomasz Garbacz and Paul Goncalves clinched the point with a 7–6 win at No. 1 to give Sacred Heart the early 1–0 lead.
Singles play proved to be a grueling battle, featuring six three-set matches across the lineup and finishing in the order of No. 3, No. 2, No. 1, No. 4, No. 5, and No. 6. Mount St. Mary's gained momentum with wins at No. 3 and No. 2 singles to take a 2–1 lead. Garbacz responded for the Pioneers at No. 1 with a three-set victory over Gaonkar, 7–5, 2–6, 6–4, leveling the team score.
The Mountaineers reclaimed the lead with a win at No. 4 before Sacred Heart stayed alive when Connor Liona rallied at No. 5, defeating Makris 3–6, 6–4, 6–2, to tie the match at 3–3. The decisive point came at No. 6 singles, where Mount St. Mary's prevailed in another three-set battle to secure the 4–3 team victory.
Despite strong efforts from Darren Huang, Martin Macias, Paul Goncalves, and Vayo Rodriguez in extended matches, Mount St. Mary's claimed four of the six three-set contests in a marathon match that lasted approximately five and a half hours.
Sacred Heart will prepare for its spring break trip when it faces the University of Mary Washington in Orlando, Florida on March 2.
Players Mentioned
