BOISE, Idaho -- The University of North Dakota men's tennis team battled to a 4-3 victory over Seattle on Saturday evening from the Boas Indoor Tennis Center in Boise, Idaho to begin a weekend of matches against top competition from the West Coast. 

UND (3-2) saw success in doubles play and the bottom courts during singles action to hold off a late charge from Seattle (1-7) and run its winning streak to three straight matches. 

"Finding a way to win today's match against Seattle was a big step in the maturation process of what we are building here at UND," said UND head coach Tom Boysen. "The end result was much more a product of grit, determination, perseverance, and dealing positively with adversity than it was about great shot-making and talent.  Winning this type of match will make us better."

In two-man action, Dylan Leeman and Riley Odell started the scoring with a 6-3 win on the No. 3 court before Nikita Snezhko and Gerhard Sullwald cemented the 1-0 lead with a 6-4 victory from the top position. 

Odell kept it going in singles play, notching a 6-0, 6-3 triumph on the No. 4 court to extend the lead to 2-0. After Seattle got on the scoreboard, Leeman pushed the advantage back to a pair, 3-1, by a 7-5, 6-3 score and push the match to its brink. 

Seattle U kept it close, once again trimming the deficit back to one following a win at the third spot, but it was Snezhko who sealed the victory on the No. 5 court. The Iowa transfer bounced back from a 6-4 defeat in the opening set to post back-to-back victories by the same score to hand the Fighting Hawks the clinching win. 

"Nikita was so efficient in the last half of his match with his tactics and execution. Riley and Dylan have had great starts to their UND careers, and today was more of the same from both of them.  But honesty, today was a total team effort, and we are excited to build on this victory in our next match versus Boise State. I'm so proud of these young men for sticking together today and fighting for this victory."

North Dakota closes out the weekend with a contest against Boise State on Sunday at 5 p.m. 


North Dakota 4, Seattle U 3
Feb 05, 2022 at Boise,Idaho (Boas Indoor Tennis Center)

Singles competition

1. Julian Worn (SU) def. Gerhard Sullwald (UND) 4-6, 7-6, 6-3

2. Filip Stipic (SU) def. Edmond Aynedjian (UND) 6-4, 6-2

3. Veselin Kiselkov (SU) def. Cian McDonnell (UND) 2-6, 6-4, 6-2

4. Riley Odell (UND) def. Mats Krause (SU) 6-0, 6-3

5. Nikita Snezhko (UND) def. Michael Frank (SU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4

6. Dylan Leeman (UND) def. Oliver Hall (SU) 7-5, 6-3

 

Doubles competition

1. Nikita Snezhko/Gerhard Sullwald (UND) def. Mats Krause/Michael Frank (SU) 6-4

2. Veselin Kiselkov/Filip Stipic (SU) def. Edmond Aynedjian/Cian McDonnell (UND) 6-3

3. Dylan Leeman/Riley Odell (UND) def. Julian Worn/Oliver Hall (SU) 6-3

 

Match Notes

Seattle U 1-7

North Dakota 3-2

Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (4,2,6,3,5,1)

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