Eagles Grounded by Fighting Hawks in Thrilling Season Debut

CHENEY, Wash. – EWU Men’s Tennis kicked off their 2025 spring season with a home match against North Dakota. The Eagles (0-1) experienced a 6-1 defeat to the Fighting Hawks (1-0), falling to 6-2 in the historical series, having lost the last two encounters. 

To commence doubles play, the Fighting Hawks claimed two out of three matches, securing the first point of the contest. The No. 2 and No. 3 pairs showcased a fierce competition. The No. 3 doubles duo of Drew Dillon and Brady Thomas put up a strong fight, but ultimately succumbed 7-5 to Andrew Hayduke II and Leo Galliano.

 

In the No. 2 doubles match, Caden Kammerer secured his first of two victories that day alongside junior partner Tyler Waddock. Together, they triumphed 6-4 over Ethan Terry and Jerall Yasin.



“Overall, our primary objective was to instill team spirit on the court, which I believe we accomplished quite effectively,” stated head coach Dustin Hinson. “It’s enjoyable to compete as part of a team in an individual sport, which I found both entertaining and competitive. Securing the victory in the No. 2 doubles match was fantastic, and being so close in the No. 3 match was a bonus. Just a few critical shots made all the difference.”



In singles competition, junior Tyler Waddock took the court for the Eagles in the No. 1 position. Waddock gained an early advantage, winning the first set (6-2). However, Leandro Zgraggen rallied back to secure the second set and pushed the match to a third. In the final set, Waddock fell behind 0-3 early on. Regaining two games, he ultimately ended up trailing 5-4, but Zgraggen completed the comeback by winning 6-4.



“Waddock fought exceedingly hard in the No. 1 singles match against a very skilled opponent, and it ultimately came down to the finer details. He brought incredible energy and maintained focus from beginning to end,” Hinson mentioned.

Junior Tyler Dalos faced off in the No. 2 slot, managing to take the lead in the second set (3-2) despite dropping the initial set (6-3). However, he fell behind 4-3, and Ange-Kevin Koua sealed the second set victory 6-4. 

In the No. 4 singles role, following a first set win of 6-3, Caden Kammerer surged ahead to lead 4-1 in the second set, ultimately winning (6-2) and securing the Eagles’ first point in convincing style, with scores of 6-3, 6-2 over Ethan Terry. 



“I’m extremely pleased with Caden’s victory in No. 4 singles; he was quite dominant. He had a strategic plan and executed it well, understanding precisely what he needed to do to win. Now, we look forward to building upon what we accomplished today as we head into tomorrow’s matches,” Hinson remarked.



Upcoming Matches

Eastern Washington will head to Spokane to face off against Gonzaga for a doubleheader on Saturday, Jan. 18. The first match will commence at 10 am, followed by the second match commencing at 2 pm. 

2025 Eastern Washington Men’s Tennis

January 17, 2024

North Dakota def. Eastern Washington 6-1

Cheney, Wash.

DOUBLES

No. 1 Leandro Zgraggen/Ange-Kevin Koua (UND) def. Arshjot Bhatti/Tyler Dalos (EWU) 6-3

No. 2 Caden Kammerer/Tyler Waddock (EWU) def. Ethan Terry/Jerall Yasin (UND) 6-4

No. 3 Andrew Hayduke III/Leo Galliano (UND) def. Drew Dillon/Brady Thomas (EWU) 7-5

Order of Finish: (1, 2, 3)

SINGLES

No. 1 Leandro Zgraggen (UND) def. Tyler Waddock (EWU) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4

No. 2 Ange-Kevin Koua (UND) def. Tyler Dalos (EWU) 6-3, 6-4

No. 3 Leo Galliano (UND) def. Drew Dillon (EWU) 6-1, 6-4

No. 4 Caden Kammerer (EWU) def. Ethan Terry (UND) 6-3, 6-2

No.5 Andrew Hayduke II (UND) def. Arshjot Bhatti (EWU)  6-1, 7-5

No.6 Jayho Hong (UND) def. Brady Thomas (EWU) 6-3, 6-2

Order of Finish: (3, 4, 2, 1, 6, 5)

 

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ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics offers 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, serving as both educational opportunities for its most athletically gifted students and as a means to enhance student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is part of the Big Sky Conference, a coalition of 10 regional institutions with similar enrollments and academic aspirations.

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