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MACOMB, Ill. - Fighting for a spot in the conference tournament, the South Dakota State men's tennis team dropped two of three contests to Summit League opponents on Saturday and Sunday.
SDSU were shutout against IPFW 4-0 on Saturday with the lone win coming at #1 doubles as Justin Pyle and Chris Baron were victorious 8-5.
On Sunday, the Jacks lost their fifth match in a row, this time to host Western Illinois 4-1. SDSU did take the doubles point with another 8-5 win for Pyle and Baron at #1, while the #3 team of James Thorp and Carl Lundberg defeated their opponents 8-6.
The second match on Sunday vs. Centenary saw the Jacks (8-8, 1-4 Summit) snap their losing skid with a 4-1 victory.
#1 Pyle (3-6, 6-1, 6-3), #2 Jamie Dash (6-2, 6-1) and #3 Lundberg (6-3, 6-3) earned the Jacks three points with a pair of doubles wins clinching the win for SDSU.
"Overall we could not be happier with the team's performance," said men's coach Michael Engdahl. "Even we did not get the W's against Western and IPFW, we were highly competitive and within points of winning each match. Where we were last year at this time, and where we are now, the program has made giant steps forward.
The Jacks wrap up their conference season Monday vs. IUPUI starting at 10 a.m. in Macomb, which will be SDSU's 14th match in the last 23 days.
"That is an insane schedule for tennis," Engdahl said. "The focus and intensity we have been able to maintain over the last month has been incredible. I could not be more proud of our guys for the fight they have put into every single point during this brutal stretch of matches. The fight we have shown has made everyone aware that Jackrabbit tennis means business and we cannot wait to take the court tomorrow against IUPUI."
