Defiance Men’s Tennis Cruises Past MSJ in HCAC Match

CINCINNATI – The Yellow Jackets won their second-consecutive match on Friday, as the men's tennis team traveled to Mount St. Joseph for a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference showdown. The Purple and Gold were never threatened by the Lions, as DC won by a final of 7-2.

Defiance set the tone of the match early in doubles' play, as the Jackets swept all three matches to jump out to a commanding 3-0 lead. The number one team comprised of Ryan Nelson and Cord Speelman easily disposed of their opponents by a score of 8-1, and the three duo of Michael Vanderkolk and Justin Walker coasted to an 8-3 victory. Craig Bills and Mike Ross teamed up at the two spot to win by a final of 8-5 in DC's closest doubles' competition.

The team used the momentum from doubles to fuel its performance in singles' play. Nelson and Speelman won in straight-set fashion at the two and three positions to secure the DC victory.

Vanderkolk recorded a win in the closest match of the day at the six position, as the sophomore split the first two sets and prevailed in a super tiebreaker by a score of 10-5. Walker also notched a win, as the sophomore won by default.

With the victory, the Jackets even up their record in the Heartland at 1-1, while improving their season mark to 3-6. The Purple and Gold return home for a non-conference match against Central State on Tuesday, April 2. The contest is scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m.