GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- It was the hard-fought, North Dakota way, but the Fighting Hawks could think of no better way to capture their first Summit League victory in program history than with a 5-2 win over Illinois State on Saturday evening at Choice Health and Fitness. 

A pair of clutch three-set victories pushed the Fighting Hawks over the top to hand the hosts its third straight win and to 1-1 in conference play. 

It was a clean sweep in doubles play as Jake Kuhlman and Chuck Tang started the momentum with a 6-2 triumph on the third court before Johnnie Carmichael-Plester and Davide Callegari cemented the 1-0 lead with a 6-3 victory from the middle position. The green and white put an exclamation point on the two-man action with a 6-4 win on the top court by Nejc Sitar and Lukas Buth. 

The Redbirds evened the score at one with a two-set victory on the No. 6 court, but the Fighting Hawks responded when Sitar rolled to a pair of 6-4 triumphs from the top position to restore the UND lead. Moments later, Buth notched another win from his No. 2 court, posting a 6-2 score in the first frame before holding on for a 7-6 victory in the second frame to extend the advantage to 3-1. 

After a three-set match went the way of the visitors, UND answered with back-to-back wins on the No. 3 and No. 4 courts to seal the first Summit League win in program history. Reigning Summit League Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week, Carmichael came out victorious, 6-3, in the first set  before falling, 6-2, in the second to force the tiebreaker. There, the senior captured a 7-5 triumph to seal the overall match win for the Hawks. Kuhlman added the fifth-and-final point of the afternoon with another three-set triumph, winning the first set, 6-4, and the tiebreaker, 6-3. 

North Dakota returns to action on Friday afternoon with a pair of matches vs. Augustana and Concordia (Minn.) from Choice Health and Fitness.