DALLAS – The No. 10-ACU men's tennis team split a pair of matches at the Turpin Tennis Center on the campus of Southern Methodist. The Wildcats knocked off three-time Atlatnic-10 Champion Xaiver, 4-2 before falling to host SMU, 6-1 on Thursday to improve to 8-5 on the season.
“We played really well today and to knock off a Division I conference champion is a big step for us,” said head coach
Hutton Jones. “It was a good day even though we fell in our second match. The level we need to be at in our division is very close to some of the top (Division I) schools we've played.”
ACU took the doubles point as all three matches were very close with the Wildcats taking No. 1 and No. 2 doubled. At No. 1 doubles
Hans Hach and
Jake Hendrie knocked off the duo of Patrick Bandy/Brian Starr, 8-5. The No. 2 combo of
Nick Plum/
Eldad Campbell had a little easier time winning, 8-4, over Bobby Deye/Jimmy Roebker. The Musketeers took No. 3 doubles 8-6, but the Wildcats took the double point heading into singles play.
The Wildcats got their first win at No. 3 singles with
Alfredo Desiati taking down Brandon MacDonald, 6-1, 6-3. At No. 5 and No. 6 singles ACU picked up two more points from
Bryan Joiner defeating Patrick Bandy, 7-6, 6-2 while
John Strahl beat Brian Starr, 6-1, 6-4, to give the Wildcats a 4-2 win.
In the afternoon match the Wildcats were very close to knocking off No. 52 SMU, however could not get catch the breaks the needed falling, 6-1.
“To lose is always disappointing, but hanging with SMU who is always near the top of the rankings when it's all said and done is a good measuring stick for our program. We played a bunch of close matches and a break here or there goes our way and maybe it's a different outcome,” said Jones.
The Wildcat got a win at No.1 doubles from Hach and Hendrie, 9-8, however the Mustangs picked up the doubles point taking No. 2 and No. 3.
The lone ACU point came at No. 6 singles as
Nick Plum knocked off Tobias Flood, 7-6, 2-6, 6-3.
The Wildcats will travel to San Antonio to join the women's team on Saturday in a Lone Star Conference match up with Incarnate Word at 1 p.m. ACU will finish their road trip on Sunday in Austin at 10:30 a.m. where they will take on St. Edward's.
ACU 4, Xavier 2
Doubles
No. 1 – Hach/Hendrie def. Bandy/Starr, 8-5
No. 2 – Plum/Campbell def. Deye/Roebker, 8-4
No. 3 – Diaz/MacDonald def. Joiner/Desiati, 8-6
Singles
No. 1 – Deye def. Hach, 6-2, 7-6
No. 2 – DNF
No. 3 – Desiati def. MacDonald, 6-1, 6-3
No. 4 – Mei def. Hendrie, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
No. 5 – Joiner def. Bandy, 7-6, 6-2
No. 6 – Strahl def. Starr, 6-1, 6-4
ACU 1, SMU 6
Doubles
No. 1 – Hach/Hendrie def. el-Effendi/Sajovich, 9-8
No. 2 – Flood/Hattrup def. Joiner/Plum, 8-5
No. 3 – Nowicki/Cuadranti def. Campbell/Strahl, 8-5
Singles
No. 1 – Cuadranit def. Hach, 5-7, 6-3, 7-5
No. 2 – el-Effendi def. Campbell, 6-3, 6-4
No. 3 – Nowicki def. Hendrei, 6-1, 6-1
No. 4 – Sajovich def. Desiati, 6-1, 7-6
No. 5 – Hattrup def. Joiner, 4-6, 7-6, 6-3
No. 6 – Plum def. Flood, 7-6, 2-6, 6-3
