TULSA, Okla. -- The University of North Dakota men's tennis team needed every ounce they had on Friday night, holding off Oral Roberts by a 4-3 score in a match that lasted nearly four hours to move to 2-0 in league play.
"This was a statement win for our program in the sense that all teams who are learning to become great need to win matches like this along the way," said UND head coach
Tom Boysen. "No doubt, we are still in the process of learning how to be great, but we took a big step tonight. On the road, outside in months, playing against a team who was playing at a very good level against us and forcing us to dig deep to find a way to get this win. The degree and tenacity and resilience they showed was terrific."
UND jumped out to a 1-0 lead in what proved to be a crucial doubles point.
Dylan Leeman and
Riley Odell started it off with a 6-4 victory at the No. 3 position before ORU brought the play level with a win on the top court. With all eyes on the middle court, Edmond Ayndedjian and
Cian McDonnell secured the 1-0 advantage with a 7-5 triumph.
The hosts clawed back with wins on the top and bottom courts to take a 2-1 lead, however, Iowa transfer
Nikita Snezhko brought the match back to even by a 7-6, 6-4 score before a three-set victory at the No. 2 spot by ORU put the hosts within a clinching position.
It was another transfer, Odell, who started the rally. Dropping the first set, 3-6, before facing a 3-0 deficit in the second set. There, the sophomore overcame to force a tiebreaker with a 6-3 win before winning the match with a 7-6 victory in that crucial third set to even the score at 3-3.
"Amazing effort by Riley to come back from 3-6, 0-3 to win his match to get that third point for us," expressed Boysen.
With the match squared at 3-all, it was fittingly the third court that decided the match. After Aynedjian won the first set by a 6-2 score, the senior dropped the second by a 6-4 tally to send the match into a tiebreaker, and the veteran came through with his first clinch in a 3-3 match by a 7-6 score to secure the crucial conference win for the green and white.
"So happy for Edmond to come through in a big moment as a senior," said Boysen. "He was so composed and mentally aware during the last 30 minutes of his match."
"Clinching a match after so many years of playing college tennis was an unbelievable feeling," said Aynedjian. "You just can't buy this feeling. Super proud of my team and couldn't ask for a better environment to grow as a tennis player. It was a match I will never forget and a moment I will cherish for the rest of my life."
North Dakota will battle Tulsa on Sunday at 10 a.m. to close the weekend.
DOUBLES RESULTS
Monferrer/Vinas over Sullwald/Snezhko
6-4
Aynedjian/McDonnell over Zakharov/A. Brewer
7-5
Leeman/Odell over Johnson/Leuenberger
6-4
(Order of finish: 3,1,2)
SINGLES RESULTS
Zakharov over Sullwald
6-4, 7-5
Monferrer over McDonnell
6-7, 6-4, 6-3
Aynedjian over Vinas
6-2, 4-6, 7-6
Odell over Evans
3-6, 6-3, 7-6
Snezhko over Leuenberger
7-6, 6-4
A. Brewer over Leeman
6-4, 6-3
(Order of finish: (6,1,5,4,2,3)
