JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM Boise State's Ikaika Jobe, a Punahou graduate, hit a forehand volley against Rice's Filip Zivojinovic in the WAC Championship tennis tournament final yesterday at the University of Hawaii. Zivojinovic defeated Jobe 6-3, 7-5 in fourth singles, but the Broncos won the team title 4-3.

Frosh rise up
for Boise

With his team's fate out of his control, Ikaika Jobe endured some anxious moments as he watched the dramatic final stages of yesterday's Western Athletic Conference men's tennis championship.

"My knees were shaking," Jobe admitted. "I was way more nervous watching, for sure."

The Punahou graduate and his Boise State teammates could only observe and cheer as they put their conference title hopes in the hands of two freshmen.

And the youngsters delivered for the Broncos, both posting three-set victories to lift top-seeded Boise State to a 4-3 win over Rice in the WAC tournament final at the University of Hawaii Tennis Complex.

"This is one of the sweetest ones," Boise State coach Greg Patton said. "This is a trip I'm never going to forget."

With second-seeded Rice up 3-2, Boise State's Luke Shields knotted the score with a 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-2 win over WAC Player of the Year Robert Searle.

Eric Roberson then fought off a match point in a second-set tiebreaker and rallied past Rodrigo Gabriel 1-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4 to give the Broncos the title.

"They stepped up big-time when we needed it," Jobe said of the freshmen. "I've been in that position earlier this year and know what it feels like to be the last one out there, and Eric did awesome."

The drama started early, as Shields and Thomas Schoeck, the nation's ninth-ranked doubles team, rallied from a 6-3 deficit to defeat Searle and Ben Harknett 9-7 to give Boise State the doubles point.

Jobe and partner Matias Silva put the Broncos in position to claim the point by posting an 8-5 win.

"If we're going to have a chance, we have to win the doubles point," Patton said. "(Shields and Schoeck) just refused to lose and they just believed in themselves."

Jobe struggled in his singles match, losing to Filip Zivojinovic 6-3, 7-5. The Owls also got wins from Ralph Knupfer and Harknett to pull ahead.

Shields, the WAC Freshman of the Year, split the first two sets against Searle and worked through fatigue to go up a break early in the third. He was able to hold on to keep Boise State alive.

"It was tough with the heat," Shields said. "I was really tired and I was struggling with the heat. I have been all week. I just fought through it, I was sucking for air."

All eyes then turned to the No. 5 singles match, with Roberson down a break in the third set and Gabriel serving at 4-3. Roberson broke Gabriel's serve in a marathon game and held his serve to take the lead.

He closed out the match with another break and was mobbed by his teammates after his final shot landed beyond Gabriel's reach in the left corner.

"I was getting tired, but dug down and came out with the win," Roberson said. "Going down a break, I knew the championship was on the line, so I had to dig down."

The Broncos' win means Jobe's collegiate career will extend into the NCAA regionals. The senior transferred to Boise State this season and Patton credited him for helping the Broncos reclaim the title it won in 2003.

"We wouldn't have been here without him, and that doubles win was a huge factor," Patton said.

WAC Men's Tennis Championship

Boise State 4, Rice 3
Doubles
Thomas Schoeck/Luke Shields (BSU) def. Robert Searle/Ben Harknett (Rice) 9-7; Ikaika Jobe/Matias Silva (BSU) def. Tony Hearle/Filip Zivojinovic (Rice) 8-5; Rodrigo Gabriel/Jason Mok (Rice) def. Eric Roberson/Brent Werbeck (BSU) 9-7.
Singles
Shields (BSU) def. Searle (Rice) 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-2; Schoeck (BSU) def. Hearle (Rice), 6-0, 6-2; Harknett (Rice) def. Silva (BSU), 2-6, 6-3, 6-3; Zivojinovic (Rice) def. Jobe (BSU) 6-3, 7-5; Roberson (BSU) def. Gabriel (Rice) 1-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4; Ralph Knupfer (Rice) def. Beck Roghaar (BSU), 6-4, 6-2.