Lobos Win Jack Kennedy Classic with 6-1 Win Over No. 67 Santa Clara
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Two weeks ago when UNM lost close matches to No. 45 Middle Tennessee State and No. 55 Utah, first year head coach Rob Bareford said then, “we are right there and really close. We are going to get one.” On Sunday, he and UNM got one. Boy did they ever.
Taking on the No. 67 Santa Clara Broncos, who entered with a 9-4 record, the Lobos ripped through doubles and then got terrific play up and down the lineup as the Lobos took a 6-1 decision for the squad’s first ranked win of the season, and giving UNM the 2025 Jack Kennedy Classic with a 2-0 sweep. UNM defeated Wichita State on Friday 5-2.
The win capped off a terrific week for UNM which finially saw action on its home court after opening the season with nine straight matches away from Albuquerque. In doubles, it was a Lobo blitz that secured the opening point. No. 70 Aram Noroozian and Georgio Samaha took down Luca Bluett and John Kim 6-1 for the top half of the doubles point, and virtually seconds later, an Aditya Balsekar forehand was the finishing touch on a 6-1 win for he and Avery Tallakson over Lica Lemaitre and Lukas Maskow. That moved UNM to a 1-0 lead.
Prior to singles, the squad honored the family of Jack Kennedy, who passed away in 2023, including Jack’s high school sweetheart and wife of 63 years Susan Kennedy as well as their sons John and Kurt Kennedy, grandsons Nathan and Declan Kennedy, nephews Mark Dinehart and Greg Seligman and nieces Daisy and Amber Seligman. Jack was on hand for the inaugural Jack Kennedy Classic in the Spring of 2023.
In singles, the Lobos got straight set wins from Dario Ciobotaru, Tallakson and Noroozian to clinch the win. Ciobotaru bounced back from a loss on Friday with a resounding 6-2, 6-2 in which Ciobotaru was particularly strong on service receive with five breaks on the day. Tallakson won his fifth straight match with a strong 6-2, 6-3 win over John Kim. That gave UNM a 3-1 lead, and Noroozian with all over No. 104 Alexander Watanabe Eriksson. Continuing UNM’s home mastery at No. 1 singles, Noroozian kept UNM’s streak of unbeaten matches at No. 1 at home since 2022 with 6-3, 6-2 win, clinching the win.
The final two matches played out, and were the proverbial Lobo cherry on the top of the icing. Daniil Kakhniuk after dropping his opening set bounced back for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 win to make it 5-1, and Georgio Samaha was able to get back into the win column with a wild and close match with Luca Bluett. After two tiebreakers which were split, with Samaha winning the first 7-5 before Bluett won the second 7-5, the two played a 10-point third set tiebreaker. Samaha jumped out to a 5-1 lead at the switch, and still was up 8-4 at the second break. A strong forehard winner made it 9-4, and after a Bluett point, Samaha served out his 10-5 win to end the match.
The Lobos head on the road, but at least it’s within the stat as UNM takes on New Mexico State in Las Cruces on Saturday at 3 pm.
NOTES: UNM has won all three Jack Kennedy Classics and is 5-1 all-time in the tournament … Samaha became the 14th player in school history with 75 career victories … Noroozian has won five straight with two unfinished matches (he was leading both) … Samaha won his first 10-point tiebreaker of the season (1-2).
