VALPARAISO, Ind. – Looking to build upon a win over Centenary in its last match, the IUPUI men’s tennis team came up just short in a tough 5-2 loss to Valparaiso Wednesday afternoon at the Valpo Tennis Complex.

 

The loss dropped the Jaguars to 7-15 on the season.

 

IUPUI fell behind early as the Crusaders top doubles team of Jose Gaspar and Eric Honert downed Joe Hammond and Bren Vasalakis, 8-3. The Jags evened things up when Dan Klingenberg and Ivan Mojsejev doubled up Valpo’s No. 3 doubles tandem, 8-4, shifting the attention to the decisive No. 2 doubles match.

 

With both teams vying to take the early lead, the neck-and-neck match moved to a tiebreaker and with IUPUI’s tandem of Joel Modesitt and Nick Volz trailing 6-5 in the tiebreaker, the duo was unable to extend the match any further as Valparaiso won the point to clinch the match and the doubles point in the Crusaders favor.

 

The Jaguars were able to tie the score at one apiece courtesy of a win from the No. 5 position. Chase Emerson continued his impressive play of late and cruised to a 6-3, 6-1 victory.

 

However, straight sets loses by Vasalakis, Hammond, and Mojsejev ensued, cementing the win for Valparaiso.

 

Despite the losses, Volz bounced back in singles play with a come-from-behind win. After falling behind, 6-2, the Evansville, Ind., native rallied to win the second set, 7-6, thanks to a 7-5 win in the tiebreaker and from that point, he dominated the third-set tiebreaker, 10-1, to pick up the win.

 

Unfortunately Volz’s doubles teammate Modesitt found himself in a third set tiebreaker and came out on the other side losing his tiebreaker, 12-10, closing out the 5-2 Crusaders win.

 

IUPUI plays its final match before the Summit League Tournament on Tuesday, April 19, at Butler. The match is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.