MADISON, Wis. – No. 41 Drake University men's tennis team won the final three singles matches to upset 29th-ranked North Carolina State, 4-3, on Saturday (Feb. 14) at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium.
“Incredible team win. The team had to dig deep and really ask each other how badly they wanted to compete after finishing last night's win over Wisconsin after 10 p.m.,” said Drake head coach Davidson Kozlowski.
The Wolfpack took an early 2-0 lead by winning the doubles point and taking No. 6 singles.
No. 32 junior Ben Lott (Newcastle, England) got the Bulldogs on the board, at No. 2 with a straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, victory over 56th-ranked Austin Powell.
NC State regained its two-point margin with a win at No. 3.
Ravi Patel (London, England) cut Drake's deficit back to a point, 3-2, as he topped Thomas Weigel, 6-1,4-6, 6-1 at No. 4.
No. 54th senior Alen Salibasic (Tuzla, Bosnia & Herzegovina) tied it up at three with a strong finish to beat 121st-ranked Robbie Mudge 6-4, 5-7, 6-1.
Freshman Calum MacGeoch (Edinburgh, Scotland) came back from a set down to upset 124th-ranked Nick Horton, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 and gave the Bulldogs the match clinching point, 4-3.
“Two weeks ago, Calum played his first college match and lost. Now he bounced back and won both of his matches this weekend after being down a break in the third set in both of them,” said Kozlowski. “Calum thrived with all eyes on his court and he just get stronger as the match wears on.”
The Bulldogs will take their three-match winning streak to Denver on Saturday, Feb. 21. Play is set to begin at 1 p.m. MST.
#41 Drake 4, #29 NC State 3
Feb 14, 2015 at Madison, Wis. (Nielsen Tennis Stadium)
Singles
1. Salibasic, Alen (DU) def. Robbie Mudge (ST) 6-4, 5-7, 6-1
2. Lott, Ben (DU) def. Austin Powell (ST) 6-3, 6-4
3. Beck Bond (ST) def. Frost, Matt (DU) 7-6, 6-3
4. Patel, Ravi (DU) def. Thomas Weigel (ST) 6-1, 4-6, 6-1
5. MacGeoch, Calum (DU) def. Nick Horton (ST) 6-7, 6-4, 6-4
6. Simon Norenius (ST) def. Philips, Bayo (DU) 6-2, 6-0
Doubles
1. Robbie Mudge/Ian Dempster (ST) def. Lott, Ben/Philips, Bayo (DU) 7-5
2. Austin Powell/Simon Norenius (ST) def. Frost, Matt/Patel, Ravi (DU) 6-3
3. Salibasic, Alen/Mullis, Ben (DU) def. Nick Horton/Thomas Weigel (ST) 6-3
Match Notes
NC State 6-3; National ranking #29
Drake 10-2; National ranking #41
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (6,2,3,4,1,5)
