KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The IUPUI men's tennis team went to the City of Fountains and came home with exactly what they were looking for - two Summit League victories.  With a dramatic, come-from-behind, 4-3 win over Western Illinois on Saturday morning, the Jaguars wrapped up a Summit League Tournament bid.

IUPUI (6-16, 4-2 Summit) showed that their difficult non-conference schedule paid off, as they rallied for the dramatic win over Western Illinois.

The Fighting Leathernecks jumped ahead of the Jaguars early, capitalizing on the fact that IUPUI played an afternoon match the day prior.  With wins at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles, Western Illinois appeared to be in good shape to tie the Jags in the conference standings.

After Western Illinois wins at No. 1 and No. 4 singles, the Jaguars were down to their final breath, but Joel Modesitt breathed life into IUPUI with a 6-4, 6-0, win at No. 5.  Jorge Yunes followed with a 7-6(6), 6-1 victory at No. 6, and the Jags were down just a single point with two matches remaining.

Deon Shafer continued the Jags' momentum with another sraight-set win, this one coming, 6-4, 6-2.

Shafer's win even the match and brought the entire event down to a single match - Daniel Klingenberg's match at No. 2.  The sophomore pulled out a tricky first set over Western Illinois' Mandela Shepard, skating through the tie-break, 7-5, to take the set, 7-6.  In the final set, Klingenberg picked up a break and held on for a 6-4 win in the second, giving the Jaguars the win.

With a 4-2 conference record, the Jaguars are assured of a Summit League Tournament berth, with their opponent to be determined after the remainder of the cluster.  The conference tournament will be held April 23-24, in Tulsa, Okla..

Prior to the conference tournament, IUPUI will meet Butler on April 20.  The matches will begin at 4:30 p.m. from the Indianapolis Tennis Center.

Doubles:

No. 1 – Jeff Cote/James McGuire (WIU) def. Daniel Klingenberg/Jorge Yunes (IUPUI), 8-2

No. 2 – Nick Volz/Deon Shafer (IUPUI) led Francisco Ortiz/Rodrigo Azevedo (WIU), 5-3 (DNF)

No. 3 – Mandela Shepard/Patrick Hammers (WIU) def. Taylor Tunis/Joel Modesitt (IUPUI), 8-1

   Order of Finish: 3, 1

 

Singles:

No. 1 – Jeff Cote (WIU) def. Bren Vasalakis (IUPUI), 6-2, 6-1

No. 2 – Daniel Klingenberg (IUPUI) def. Mandela Shepard (WIU), 7-6 (5), 6-4

No. 3 – Deon Shafer (IUPUI) def. Francisco Ortiz (WIU), 6-4, 6-2

No. 4 – Patrick Hammers (WIU) def. Nick Volz (IUPUI), 6-2, 6-2

No. 5 – Joel Modesitt (IUPUI) def. Jim Capalbo (WIU), 6-4, 6-0

No. 6 – Jorge Yunes (IUPUI) def. Alejandro Buceta (WIU), 7-6 (6), 6-1

   Order of Finish: 1, 4, 5, 6, 3, 2