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University of Nebraska - Kearney Athletics

Aaron Osmond
Erika Pritchard, UNK Communications
0
Nebraska Kearney UNK-M (11-14)
4
Winner Harding (AR) HARDING (15-5)
Nebraska Kearney UNK-M
(11-14)
0
Final
4
Harding (AR) HARDING
(15-5)
Winner

Match Recap: Men's Tennis |

#37 Lopers Battle But Fall to #21 Bison in League Tourney

Kearney, Neb. – The now 37th-ranked Nebraska Kearney men's tennis teams saw its season draw to close after a tough 4-0 loss to 21st-ranked Harding (Ark.) Wednesday evening in Springfield, Mo.

This was the first round of the MIAA/GAC (Great American Conf.) Tournament with UNK the third seed from the North Division (MIAA) and the Bison the second seed from the South (GAC). Due to weather the singles matches were moved inside.

Earlier this year in Searcy, Ark., UNK (11-14) fell to the Bison (14-6) by a 6-1 score. This dual was closer, but the Bison won thanks to a marathon victory at two doubles and three-set wins at both one and two singles.

The doubles point came down to the winner at two with 50th-ranked Aaron Osmond (U.K.) and sophomore Tom van den Dungen (Netherlands) rallying from holes of 2-0, 5-4 and 6-5. They were a point away from winning at 12-11 but Harding scored the final three points to come out on top, 14-12. Earlier, sophomores Jakub Strzelecki (Poland) and Andy Brisdon (U.K.) rallied from a 5-4 hole to win at three, 7-5 and keep UNK's hopes alive.

At one singles 26th-ranked Jip Mens (Netherlands) battled 10th-ranked Cas De Ruiter and was up 5-4 in the first set. However, De Ruiter rallied for a 7-5 win and then never trailed in the third, 6-3. Mens, who went 18-5 in duals this year, took set two by a 6-4 score.

UNK's hard luck continued at two as 22nd-ranked Adrian Solorzano rallied past freshman Adrian Constantin (Romania) in three sets: 4-6, -3, -3. Constantin scored four of the first five points of the match but never led over the final two sets. Finally, Cian Mikkelsen downed freshman Ivan Melnik (Germany) at three to close things out; -5, -3.

The Lopers only graduation loss is Osmond who began his career at Alabama-Huntsville before traveling to Lake Superior State in Michigan.
 
 
 
 
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