Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Drake University men's tennis team wrapped up a busy weekend with a pair of matches Sunday on the West Coast. The Bulldogs beat Utah State, 4-3, before falling to UC Santa Barbara, 3-4.
Drake (4-16) dropped the doubles point against Utah State to open the day.
Oliver Johansson/
Matija Matic fell, 6-2, at No. 1, and
Evan Fragistas/
Freddie Powell faltered at No. 3, 6-2.
Reid Jarvis/
Barny Thorold went unfinished with their score knotted at 4-4.
Drake picked up its play in singles action. Johansson led off with a strong performance at No. 1 to clinch a 6-4, 6-2 victory. Powell delivered another win at No. 5, 6-3, 7-5, and Fragistas won a thriller at No. 4, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1.
The Aggies responded by defeating Thorold, 6-3, 6-4, at No. 2 and knocking off
David Nyman at No. 6, 7-6, 6-3. The result of the match hinged on Jarvis at No. 3.
Jarvis claimed the first set, 6-4, before dropping the second set in a tiebreaker, 6-7. The sophomore from Springfield, Mo., came up clutch with a 6-3 win in the third set to lift Drake to a 4-3 dual victory over Utah State.
Drake again started from behind when it lost the doubles point to UC Santa Barbara. Jarvis/Thorold fell, 6-0, at No. 2, but Fragistas/Powell delivered a 6-2 win at No. 3. Johansson/Matic couldn't convert against a high-powered UCSB duo at No. 1, losing 6-4.
UCSB's lead grew to 2-0 when it defeated Thorold, 6-3, 6-3, at No. 2, but Johansson posted the best victory of his young career shortly after.
The freshman bested Joseph Guillin, the No. 26 singles player in the nation, 6-3, 7-5 in an impressive display.
Jarvis then came through with another big-time win, defeating his opponent 6-2, 6-4 to knot the dual at 2-2.
Nyman lost at No. 6 as UCSB took a 3-2 lead, but it was Fragistas' turn to deliver when Drake needed it. The Greek held onto a 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 win as all eyes turned toward Powell at No. 5.
The Bulldogs' comeback was not to be after Powell fell in a closely contested match, 7-6, 6-4. The Aggies snuck home with the dual win, 4-3.
Drake returns to action on March 19 when it takes on Florida Gulf Coast in Fort Myers, Fla.
