CHAMPIONS!!! Lobos Shutout Broncos for Fourth MW title in Seven Years
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Less than a week ago, Aram Noroozian lost two tiebreakers in the final, deciding match that gave Boise State a 4-3 victory and denied UNM a share of the Mountain West regular season title. That was ZERO chance Noroozian was letting that happen again. UNM’s All-Mountain star led the way, clinching a tense doubles point and then basically crushing the heart of Boise State with a 6-2, 6-4 win over nationally-ranked Jett Middleton at No. 1 singles to pace UNM to a 4-0 whitewashing of No. 42 Boise State, winning the Mountain West Tournament title and with it claiming the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament next week.
The Lobos will learn their fate when the NCAA selection show takes place on Monday afternoon at 3 p.m. live on NCAA.com. For New Mexico, it marks the fourth title in seven years after winning regular season titles in 2019, 2021 and 2023, and it is UNM’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2021. The Mountain West Tournament win was UNM’s fourth all-time, but first since winning it all in 2009. The Lobos had lost in the finals most recently to Nevada in 2022 (losing 4-3), and UNM also lost in 2012, 2013 and 2014, losing to Boise State all three times.
The pace was set in doubles as Noroozian and Georgio Samaha won their clinching match 7-6 (7-5). It followed a win at No. 3 by Avery Tallakson and Aditya Balsekar. Noroozian opened his tiebreak with a service point, and then UNM won both of BSU’s serves and took a 4-2 lead to the split. Up 6-3, BSU got two service points, but it was Noroozian’s serve, and after sending Jett Middleton deep to his backhard which he barely returned over the net, Noroozian slammed it home for an emphatic first point. After that, the Lobos followed their leader.
UNM took four opening sets, paced by Tallakson and Daniil Kakhniuk, who both won tiebreakers. That put UNM in the driver’s seat, and the Lobos never let off the gas. Noroozian’s win at No. 1 energized UNM even more, and with a 2-0 lead, it was looking good for UNM. Dario Ciotobaru avenged his loss a week ago to Lukas Velik with a 6-3, 6-3 win, calmly returning everything and waiting patiently for times to pounce.
Once his match finished, it was all eyes on Tallakson. Serving up 5-2, Avery gave a gift to his opponent John Chin when he hit a wide-open slam long to make it 15-30. Chin got it to 15-40, but it was no matter. Tallakson sent Chin off to his backhand on a service ace, then sent him sprawling on a cross court winner. At deuce and in control, Tallakson charged the net, and Chin’s only recourse was a deep lob. It sailed harmlessly into the Vegas night, well long, and it touched off a tournament celebration 15 years in the making. Tallakson, who also clinched the 4-2 semifinal win in which he bounced back from down 5-0 and having to face set point in the opening set, was named Mountain West Tournament MVP.
NOTES: The Lobos also won Mountain West Tournaments in 2000, 2003 and 2009, and UNM’s four as second only to Boise State … Boise State was looking for a three-peat in tournament titles … UNM’s title was the fifth this academic year for the school (joining men’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country and women’s indoor track and field) and that is the most of any Mountain West school this year … Rob Bareford is the first Lobo coach to make the NCAA Tournament in his first season since 2015 when Bart Scott did it.
