Michigan State University
No. 46 Louisville
Spartans Split at Home on Valentine's Day
2/14/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Louisville Results | Chicago State Results
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The MSU Men's Tennis team (8-3, 0-0) lost its first home match of the season against Louisville, but closed out Valentine's Day with a 7-0 sweep over Chicago State on Sunday at the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility.
The Spartans started the day against a No. 46 Louisville team that came into Valentine's Day on a two-match winning streak. Louisville picked up wins at the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles spots, leaving Michael Dube and Mac Roy's 5-5 tie at No. 1 doubles unfinished as Louisville clinched the doubles point.
"We rebounded after the doubles point and really competed and took it at them," MSU head coach Gene Orlando said. "We threw the first punch and dazed them but they came back and didn't give up. We were in position to take control and if we win a few points here or there it would've gone in our favor. We just came up a little short."
The Cardinals started singles play with a win at No. 5 singles, but Dube breathed life into the Spartans with a 6-1, 6-4 win at the No. 2 spot to make it 2-1 in favor of the visitors. The Spartans continued to battle, with Ivan Rakic losing a back-and-forth 7-5, 6-2 contest at No. 6 singles and Alexander Kim losing in three sets at No. 4 singles, but the Cardinals secured enough points to clinch the match, 4-1. Roy, at No. 1 singles, and Jasper Koenen, at No. 3 singles, were both in their third sets when the match was clinched.
The loss to Louisville was the Spartans' first setback at home and third loss to a ranked opponent this season, but MSU bounced back in the nightcap against Chicago State in dominant 7-0 fashion.
Chicago State, with just six active players on the roster, only had two doubles teams in action, giving the Spartans a win by default at No. 3 doubles. From there the team of Koenen and Rakic won at No. 1 doubles, 6-2, and the pairing of Kim and Colin Harvey won 6-4 at the No. 2 spot.
In singles, the Spartans won the No. 6 spot by default and went on to win the other five singles spots to capture the 7-0 sweep over the Cougars. Dube beat his opponent, 6-1, 6-1, and Kim rolled over his foe at No. 3 singles, 6-0, 6-1, with Shisler chipping in a 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 4. Koenen and Harvey went to third-set 10-point tiebreakers, with Koenen coming out victorious, 3-6, 6-4, 1-0, and Harvey winning 7-6, 2-6, 1-0 to give the Spartans the clean sweep.
"It's always tough coming back after a loss, but we just tried some different combinations and tried to figure some things out," Orlando said. "If you can win at a higher position, you can feel more confident at a lower position. The guys responded and it's back to work on Tuesday."
The Spartans return to action on Friday, Feb. 19 on the road against Michigan in the first Big Ten contest of the season.
"We just have to continue to improve on the areas we need to work on," Orlando said. "Obviously this one is a little more important with Michigan and I know the guys will be ready to play and it should be an exciting match."
#46 Louisville Men's Tennis 4, Michigan State 1
Feb 14, 2016 at East Lansing, Michigan (MSU Indoor Tennis Facility)
Singles competition
1. Mac Roy (MSU) vs. Alex Gornet (LOU-MT) 6-4, 5-7, 2-1, unfinished
2. Michael Dube (MSU) def. C. Morin-Kougoucheff (LOU-MT) 6-1, 6-4
3. Jasper Koenen (MSU) vs. Brandon Lancaster (LOU-MT) 6-1, 4-6, 6-5, unfinished
4. Jeffrey Brown (LOU-MT) def. Alexander Kim (MSU) 5-7, 6-3, 6-1
5. George Hedley (LOU-MT) def. Billy Shisler (MSU) 6-1, 6-4
6. Courtney Lock (LOU-MT) def. Ivan Rakic (MSU) 7-5, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Michael Dube/Mac Roy (MSU) vs. Alex Gornet/Jeffrey Brown (LOU-MT) 5-5, unfinished
2. C. Morin-Kougoucheff/George Hedley (LOU-MT) def. Ivan Rakic/Billy Shisler (MSU) 6-1
3. Courtney Lock/Sean Donohue (LOU-MT) def. Alexander Kim/Colin Harvey (MSU) 6-3
Michigan State 7, Chicago State 0
Feb 14, 2016 at (MSU Indoor Tennis Facility)
Singles competition
1. Michael Dube (MSU) def. Niculescu, Gabriel (CSUM) 6-1, 6-1
2. Jasper Koenen (MSU) def. Savard, Felix (CSUM) 3-6, 6-4, 1-0
3. Alexander Kim (MSU) def. Gonzalez, Christian (CSUM) 6-0, 6-1
4. Billy Shisler (MSU) def. Wattley, Rohan (CSUM) 6-1, 6-2
5. Colin Harvey (MSU) def. Martinez, Gonzalo (CSUM) 7-6, 2-6, 1-0
6. Ivan Rakic (MSU) def. No player (CSUM), by default
Doubles competition
1. Jasper Koenen/Ivan Rakic (MSU) def. Gonzalez, Christian/Niculescu, Gabriel (CSUM) 6-2
2. Colin Harvey/Alexander Kim (MSU) def. Martinez, Gonzalo/Savard, Felix (CSUM) 6-4
3. Billy Shisler/Michael Dube (MSU) def. No player/No player (CSUM), by default
Players Mentioned
