LINCOLN, Neb. – The 49^th-ranked Drake University men's tennis team came back to upend Nebraska, 4-3, on Wednesday at the Dillon Tennis Center.

The Bulldogs improved to 15-9 on the season and went 6-1 against Big Ten opponents.

"We got off to a great start by taking the doubles point which ended up being the decider with both teams each winning three singles courts," Drake head coach Davidson Kozlowski said. "Our doubles has been a roller coaster this year and it was nice to pick up the doubles point for the second straight match."

Drake jumped out a 1-0 lead when it took the double point. Sophomores Ben Stride and Calum MacGeoch cruised past Andrew Dzulynsky and Bradford Zitsch, 6-2, at the No. 3 spot, as freshman Vinny Gillespie and senior Ben Lott clinched the doubles point with a 6-3 victory over Scott Elsass and Marc Herrmann at No. 3.

The Huskers got out to a quick start in singles, winning the first set on five of the six courts. Nebraska went on to win courts No. 6, No. 4 and No. 1, respectively to take  a 3-1 lead.

Stride was the only Bulldog to win his first set as defeated Zitsch, 7-5, 6-3 at the No. 5 spot, putting Drake within one, 3-2.

"Stridey came back from an 0-3 start to claim our lone first set and gave us a much need boost," Kozlowski said. "Calum saved break point at 1-1 in the second set with a 75-ball rally and after that point he never looked back.

After dropping the first set 6-2, MacGeoch bounced back to take the second set 6-4 and then won the third set 6-2 to tie the match up at three.

The decisive match point came down to Gillespie and Herrmann on court two. Herrmann managed to win a first set tiebreaker, but Gillespie responded in a dominating fashion, winning the final two sets 6-2, 6-1.

"Vinny let his first set slip in the tiebreaker but made a few adjustment and really controlled the final two sets," said Kozlowski.

The Bulldogs wrap up the regular season on Saturday, April 23 when they square off against Illinois State and Southern Illinois in Normal, Ill.  

#49 Drake 4, Nebraska 3
Apr 13, 2016 at Lincoln, Neb. (Sid & Hazel Dillon Tennis Center) 

Singles competition

1. Dusty Boyer (NEB) def. Lott, Ben (DU) 6-4, 7-6

2. Gillespie, Vinny (DU) def. Marc Herrmann (NEB) 6-7, 6-2, 6-1

3. MacGeoch, Calum (DU) def. Andrew Dzulynsky (NEB) 2-6, 6-4, 6-2

4. Toby Boyer (NEB) def. Philips, Bayo (DU) 7-5, 6-3

5. Stride, Ben (DU) def. Bradford Zitsch (NEB) 7-5, 6-3

6. Tomislav Antoljak (NEB) def. Hands, Tom (DU) 6-3, 6-4

 

Doubles competition

1. Dusty Boyer/Toby Boyer (NEB) def. Philips, Bayo/Wood, Ben (DU) 6-3

2. Gillespie, Vinny/Lott, Ben (DU) def. Scott Elsass/Marc Herrmann (NEB) 6-3

3. Stride, Ben/MacGeoch, Calum (DU) def. Andrew Dzulynsky/Bradford Zitsch (NEB) 6-2

 

Match Notes

Drake 14-9 (1-0); National ranking #49

Nebraska 11-9 (2-5)

Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (6,4,1,5,3,2)