All’s Well in the End for Mak, University

Maybe University’s second consecutive tennis championship season wasn’t as perfect as last year. But for Henry Mak, the ending was just as sweet.

Mak missed most of the season with a blood infection, but he and partner Edwin Chen contributed three points to the top-seeded Trojans’ 12-6 victory over Woodbridge Wednesday in the Division II final at the Claremont Club.

“Toward the end of that last match, my adrenaline was so high,” Mak said. “It’s so great to come out here and help the team.”

Mak didn’t even play a match until late in the season against Corona del Mar and he said he was only about 70% healthy Wednesday. But he was undefeated with Chen in three playoff matches. Woodbridge Coach Ric Barth said Mak meant everything to University.

“Mak makes them a whole different team,” he said. “It gives them two solid singles players and two solid doubles teams.”

Woodbridge (19-6) won seven doubles sets in a 12-6 semifinal victory over Troy, but only took only two Wednesday. University’s most significant doubles victory might have come in the first round when Jeff Lawrence and Anson Hsu defeated A.J. Bertone and Paul Strozier at No. 1, 7-5. That victory gave University (18-7) a 4-2 lead after the first round and nullified Erik Oijala’s 6-3 upset of Jack Li at No. 2 singles.

After that, University cruised. The Trojans led 8-4 after the second round and clinched it early in the final round. Aaron Yovan swept at No. 1 singles for the second consecutive year in the final. Last year, he won all three against Los Angeles Brentwood as University completed a perfect season. Yovan’s biggest victory came over Brett Van Linge in the first round, 6-1. Earlier this season, Van Linge defeated Yovan.

“I wanted to get off to a good start and set the tone,” said Yovan, who lost in the section individual semifinals to Patrick Buchanan of Servite Saturday. “I was disappointed after my performance Saturday. I wanted to end the season with a win for the team, so I put a little more energy into my shots.”

Once Mak returned the lineup, it seemed many of the Trojans had a little more energy.

“I think we just saw one of the two best teams in tennis right there,” Barth said. “But for us to get this far, with what we have, it’s been a great season.”