ST. PAUL, Minn. - The University of Northwestern Men's Tennis team played its first UMAC match of the year on Thursday at a very windy Johnson Tennis Complex against the University of Wisconsin-Superior. For the first time since 2019, the Eagles secured a victory against the conference-favorite Yellowjackets, winning 4-3 in another thriller. 

Starting at doubles, Carson Haack (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) and Sam Majerus (River Falls, Wis./River Falls) (No. 1) cruised to a 6-2 win to get the Eagles started, but the Yellowjackets brought it back when Caleb Swigart (Cottage Grove, Minn./Park) and Zander Peterson (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) (No. 3) lost in a close, 4-6 match. Coming down to No. 2 doubles, Griffen Jarchow (Luverne, Minn./Luverne) and Jacob Petrick (Omaha, Neb./Elkhorn North) got down 3-5 early on, but the duo pulled back to win three straight games and head into a deciding tiebreaker. The duo obtained a 5-0 lead early on and used that momentum to secure a 7-6 (7-4) victory and the doubles point for the Eagles. 

With this momentum, the Eagles needed to pull in its strength in singles, but things did not look that way early as Majerus (No. 3) would drop his match with a 0-6, 3-6 score, and Peterson would also fall, 4-6, 0-6. At No. 6 singles, Petrick picked the Eagles back up with his play by breaking to win the first set and pull away in the second, winning 7-5, 6-1. Jarchow (No. 2) fought hard to try and get the Eagles in front but couldn't deflect the Yellowjackets firepower, losing 3-6, 1-6. 

At 2-3, the Eagles were once again fighting to make another comeback after their comeback last week against the Saint John's. Looking stronger than ever, Haack played lights out as he cruised in the first set, but had a dramatic second set. At 5-5 on deuce point, Haack went for a running passing shot down the line, which clipped just over the net and caught the Yellowjackets off guard to put Haack up, 6-5. With another deuce point at 6-5, Haack didn't want to win passively, as he charged the net on his serve and finished the match with a volley winner, securing a 6-1, 7-5 win. 

Now at 3-3, it all came down to one man once again: the one that had been the hero against the Johnnies last week, Carsen Kramer (Faribault, Minn/Faribault) (No. 5), who we might have to start nicknaming "clutch." Battling through many long points, Kramer secured the first set 7-5 and looked to pull away in the second. Down 2-3, the freshman used his consistency to fight through and win three straight games against the Yellowjackets, breaking two service games. At 5-3, Kramer was broken on his serve, but took the moment well and finished business by breaking his opponent's serve and winning with a 7-5, 6-4 score, securing a 4-3 win against the Yellowjackets as he once again was mobbed by his teammates. 

The Eagles will be back home on Monday, April 20th to face Bethany Lutheran College for its second UMAC matchup. First serve is scheduled to start at 6:00 PM.