Photo courtesy of goxavier.com | Junior Jack Dykema lost the first set of his No. 1 singles match against Ball State but surged back the next two sets to come away with the win.
The Xavier men’s tennis team had its spring home opener against Ball State at the Eastern Hills Indoor Tennis Club over the weekend.
After a hard-fought series of matches, Xavier ultimately fell in a close contest four sets to three.
The Musketeers hit a bump in the road in doubles play, but the team was able to gather three singles match victories.
Junior Jack Dykema and senior Gabriel Araujo prevailed in their matches in the singles circuit.
Dykema defeated Marko Guzina in No. 1 singles with a final tally of 1-6, 6-1, 7-5.
Araujo was also able to bring a match home as well in the No. 4 singles spot against Ball State’s Conner Andersen with a 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 victory in a closely contested match.
Head coach Doug Matthews applauded the upperclassmen’s valiant efforts this weekend.
“We were a game away from losing a few different times, but our captains of Jack Dykema and Gabe Araujo just wouldn’t go down,” Matthews said.
The team received leverage from sophomore Nate Dell, who grabbed a match win in the No. 6 singles slot against Bryce Bonin of Ball State. Dell was victorious by a score of 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
Despite falling short on the doubles side of the coin, Matthews is confident in his team in the future.
“Unfortunately, we came up a little short at the end, but I am really proud of how we competed,” Matthews said.
“If we can keep improving our doubles and get healthy, this team will get a lot better as the season goes on.”
Xavier will return to the court to host the Valparaiso Crusaders at Eastern Hills Indoor Tennis Club in Cincinnati on Friday.
The Musketeers will also face Appalachian State on Sunday in Richmond, Ky., before Big East play begins next weekend.
By: Tim Kramer ~Staff Writer~