Miko Eala lauded after leading Penn State to 4th straight win
MANILA, Philippines – Filipino tennis star Miko Eala earned high praise from his Penn State coaches following a clutch performance to lead the Nittany Lions to their fourth straight victory of the season on Friday (Saturday, Manila time).
Against Liberty University, Eala won both his singles and doubles matches to help Penn State squeak past their opponents, 4-3.
"They took it to us, we were battling on every court. I couldn't be more proud of our guys... It was a really good match against a team that made the NCAA tournament last year so we feel great about it. It's great that Miko can come back and get the win," PSU head coach Jeff Zinn told Go PSU Sports.
Eala faced a tall task in the win-clinching match for Penn State as the result was left on his shoulders with both teams tied at 3-3.
Against Deji Thomas-Smith, Eala took a comeback victory, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
He and doubles partner Charl Morgan also flipped the script against Josh Wilson and Goncalo Ferreira, 7-6 (7).
Eala and Morgan needed to battle back from a 1-4 deficit.
Associate head coach Paul Tobin also tipped his hat to Eala, the older brother of Rafa Nadal Academy scholar and two-time Juniors Grand Slam winner Alex Eala.
"With a lot of pressure on Miko, he did an unbelievable job, clinching the match for us," Tobin said.
Eala is currently a sophomore with the Nittany Lions.
They hold a 4-2 record for the season and face Princeton University next on the road on Sunday (Monday, Manila time).
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