Box Score MINNEAPOLIS – The University of Northwestern men's tennis took on the Bethany Lutheran College Vikings in the UMAC Tournament Semifinals on Friday evening. The Eagles had to fight for every point but ultimately defeated the Vikings 5-3 to advance to the championship match.
In doubles, the Eagles jumped out to a 2-1 lead.
Stewart Morrell (Elk River, Minn./Homeschool) and
Jacob Weddle (Rhinelander, Wis./Rhinelander) earned an 8-4 win at #2 doubles.
Darin Rupp (Sioux Falls, S.D./Roosevelt) and
Tyrus Studer (Rapid City, S.D./Stevens) followed with an 8-4 win of their own in the #3 doubles match. In the #1 match, the Eagles rallied but ultimately fell 8-6. Nonetheless, the Eagles success in the #2 and #3 matches sent Northwestern into singles play needing just three individual wins to clinch the match.
In singles, Morrell gave the Eagles their third team point in the #1 match. The sophomore took the opening set 6-2 but fell 1-6 in the second. In the super tiebreaker, Stew battled to a 10-8 win to take the point for UNW.
Jack Geurkink (Hudson, Wis./Hudson) followed with a 6-2, 6-2 win at #4 singles for the Eagles.
Up 4-1, the Eagles were on the verge of victory. However, many of the remaining matches started to swing in the Vikings' favor. Bethany Lutheran took #6 singles 6-4, 6-0, and then followed up with a 6-3, 6-2 win at #2 singles to bring themselves within two points of winning.
With the win within reach for both teams, the pressure was on for the remaining two matches. The pressure only increased when the #3 singles match went to a super tiebreaker and the #5 match was headed that way as well.
In that #3 match, Weddle had battled back from a 4-6 opening set loss to take the second set 6-3. The freshman then fought his way to a 10-7 super tiebreaker victory to clinch the semifinal-deciding fifth point for Northwestern and send the Eagles to the championship match.
With the win, Northwestern advances to the UMAC Tournament Championship game scheduled for Saturday, May 7, starting at 1:00 P.M. The Eagles will take on the University of Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets in a battle for the tournament title and a ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
