WICHITA – In the Shockers' first outdoor home matches of the season, the team defeated Nebraska, 4-3, and shut out Northwest Missouri State, 4-0, Sunday at the Sheldon Coleman Tennis Complex.
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"I'm pleased with how we competed," head coach
Darragh Glavin said. "It's not easy to have a great win like that and then come back out and play again an hour and half later."
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The Shockers (7-5) claimed the doubles point in both matches with Nos. 1 and 2 wins by
Kristof Minarik/
Alex Richards and
Misha Kvantaliani/
Orel Ovil.
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The Shockers started off slow in singles but Kvantaliani and Richards rallied for first-set wins with Kvantaliani coming back from down 5-1 to win 7-6(3). Both Kvantaliani and Richards finished off their opponents in the second set, but the Huskers (4-4) snagged three singles wins, including No. 109 Roni Hietaranta's 6-3, 7-5 win over No. 97 Minarik at No. 1, to tie the match up at 3-3.
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After falling in the first set at No. 4, freshman
Alejandro Jacome evened the match with a 6-2 set two win and carried that momentum into the third set, winning 6-2 with the match on the line to clinch the 4-3 win for the Shockers.
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"Having a team like that come here and take it right down to the last match and Alejandro, as a freshman, being able to keep his composure and clinch the match was great to see," Glavin said.
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After a short break, the Shockers returned to the courts to take on Division II No. 16 Northwest Missouri State (2-2).
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Up 1-0 after doubles, Wichita State started slow in singles once again, but battled for four first-set wins. Ovil bounced back from a loss in the Nebraska match to win his first set at No. 2 in a tiebreaker and quickly finish off the second, 6-1.
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Bracks and King also won in straight sets, securing a 4-0 sweep for the Shockers to wrap up the doubleheader.
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"It was great that we were able to keep our composure and come out and play some good tennis when we needed to against a tough team," Glavin said. Â "Great weekend overall and excited for the rest of the year."
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Wichita State is back on the road Feb. 25-26 in San Antonio for matches against Florida Atlantic and UTSA.
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Wichita St. 4, Nebraska 3
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Singles competition
1. #109 Roni Hietaranta (NEB) def. #97
Kristof Minarik (WSU) 6-3, 7-5
2.
Misha Kvantaliani (WSU) def. Leo Linquet (NEB) 7-6, 6-2
3. Shunya Maruyama (NEB) def.
Orel Ovil (WSU) 6-2, 6-1
4.
Alex Richards (WSU) def. Lars Johann (NEB) 6-4, 6-1
5.
Alejandro Jacome (WSU) def. William Gleason (NEB) 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
6. Nic Wiedenhorn (NEB) def.
Richey King (WSU) 6-4, 6-3
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Doubles competition
1.
Kristof Minarik/
Alex Richards (WSU) def. Nic Wiedenhorn/Shunya Maruyama (NEB) 6-4
2.
Orel Ovil/
Misha Kvantaliani (WSU) def. William Gleason/Leo Linquet (NEB) 7-5
3. Roni Hietaranta/Lars Johann (NEB) def.
Richey King/
Luke Bracks (WSU) 6-4
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Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (3,6,4,1,2,5)
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Wichita St. 4, Northwest Mo. St. 0
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Singles competition
1.
Misha Kvantaliani (WSU) vs. Andrea Zamurri (NWMSU) 6-7, 2-3, unfinished
2.
Orel Ovil (WSU) def. Michael Delebois (NWMSU) 7-6, 6-1
3.
Alex Richards (WSU) vs. Fabien Calloud (NWMSU) 5-7, 3-2, unfinished
4.
Alejandro Jacome (WSU) vs. Jan Skerbatis (NWMSU) 6-4, 5-6, unfinished
5.
Richey King (WSU) def. Mason Meier (NWMSU) 7-5, 6-1
6.
Luke Bracks (WSU) def. Simon Birgerson (NWMSU) 6-2, 6-1
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Doubles competition
1.
Kristof Minarik/
Alex Richards (WSU) def. Mason Meier/Jan Skerbatis (NWMSU) 6-2
2.
Misha Kvantaliani/
Orel Ovil (WSU) def. Fabien Calloud/Michael Delebois (NWMSU) 6-3
3.
Zach Grueber/
Luke Bracks (WSU) vs. Andrea Zamurri/Fillippo Piranomonte (NWMSU) 4-4, unfinished
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Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (6,2,5)
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