EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Drake men's tennis earned its first road victory of the 2026 spring season Friday afternoon, defeating Southern Indiana, 5-2, in Evansville. The Bulldogs improved to 3-2 on the season, while the Screaming Eagles dropped their season opener.
Southern Indiana claimed the doubles point after winning two of the three doubles matches. Drake picked up its lone doubles victory at the No. 2 position, where Alex Yeager and Arin Menon cruised to a 6-0 win over Jy Hibbert and Kalani Hibbert. USI earned wins at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles to secure the opening point.
"USI played well today in doubles but we had our chances today to win the doubles point after Alex and Arin set us up at #2 doubles today," said Head Coach Justin Stuckey. "We played with the right energy however just need to be better on important points in doubles. I'm confident we will make those strides."
Drake responded quickly in singles play, winning five of six matches across the lineup. Arin Menon evened the match early with a dominant performance at No. 6 singles, defeating Kalani Hibbert, 6-1, 6-2.
"Arin was a turning point in singles with him getting on the board quick to help us start playing better overall," Stuckey said.
Samuel Melaga followed with a straight-set victory at No. 5 singles, topping Adam Koon, 6-3, 6-3, to give Drake the lead. Christian Winstead added another point at the top of the lineup, defeating Axel Sabourin, 6-3, 6-4.
Southern Indiana earned its lone singles victory at No. 3, where Mathys Bove defeated Benjamin Johnson. Drake answered at No. 4 singles, where Jose Alessandro Hernandez Frias sealed the match with a hard-fought 7-6, 7-5 victory over Jy Hibbert.
Alan Gonzalez closed out the Bulldogs' fifth point at No. 2 singles, earning a 7-5, 6-4 win over Aaron Dawson.
"The guys took care of business in singles overall and it was good to see us have better energy for the singles than the past few matches," Stuckey added.
Drake will look to build on the momentum Saturday against Austin Peay as the road weekend continues in Evansville.
