MUNCIE, Ind. – The IUPUI men's tennis team kicked off their fall season when they traveled to Muncie, Indiana for the Ball State Fall Invitational against Ball State, Butler and Marquette. Luka Rodic and Noah Viste shined in the B flight singles. 
 
On day one of the invite the Jags started with doubles. Blessing Benibo and Steven Paz competed in the A bracket falling to Ball State's Vince Orlando and Eli Herran, 6-3. Will Thurin and Emil Jankowski were IUPUI's number two team in the A bracket falling to Marquette's Tin Krstulovic and Jasper Schaadt, 7-5. Both Jaguar pairings competed in the consolation finals of A doubles. Benibo and Paz fell, 6-0 while Thurin and Jankowski fought hard but ultimately fell, 7-6 (4).
 
In the B doubles on day one, Eli Mercer and Luka Rodic collected their first win of the season by defeating Butler's Nicholar Balthazar and Aidan William, 7-6 (2). Kamil Kozerski partnered with Noah Viste in the B bracket falling to Marquette, 6-4. Mercer and Rodic moved on to the semifinals where they fell to Ball State, 6-2. Kozerski and Viste competed in the consolation match where they fell to Butler, 7-5.
 
The Jags opened singles play on day one with Benibo, Kozerski, Paz and Jankowski all competing in the A flight. Benibo fell to Butler's William in two sets, 6-1, 6-0. Kozerski pushed his match to three sets but fell to Marquette, 6-2, 3-6, 14-12. Paz faced Ball State's Jacks Lancaster falling in two sets, 6-2, 6-0. Jankowski rounded out the A flight lineup falling to Marquette, 2-6, 6-2, 10-7.
 
In the B flight, Thurin, Nic Knoderer, Rodic and Mercer represented the Jags on day one. Thurin fell in two sets, 6-0, 6-3 while Knoderer fell to Butler, 6-3, 6-2. Rodic recorded a first round win over Ball State's Parrish Simmons in three sets, 6-2, 2-6, 10-5. Mercer also collected a win over Butler's Nicholas Shirley, 7-6 (4), 6-4.
 
On Saturday, the Jags continued singles play. In the A flight consolations, Benibo fell to Marquette's Krstulovic, 6-1, 6-0 while Kozerski fell to Ball State's Herran, 6-2, 6-4. Paz fell to Butler's Nico Arts, 6-3, 6-3 and Jankowski fell to Ball State's Orlando, 6-0. 6-4.
 
In the B flight, Rodic earned his second singles win over Butler's Balthazar in three sets, 6-4, 3-6, 10-3. Mercer, who was also in the winner's bracket, fell to Ball State, 7-5, 6-2, but finished the day strong winning the quarter reprieve match in three sets, 4-6, 7-6 (6), 10-6.  In the consolation bracket, Thurin won his first match, 6-3, 6-0, then fell in his second match, 6-1, 6-0. Viste won back-to-back consolation matches, winning the first match in three sets, 7-5, 1-6, 10-7 and the second, 6-4, 6-3. Knoderer fell in his first match of the day, 6-1, 6-0, then fell in his last match of the day, 6-3, 6-3.
 
On day three, two Jags were left with Rodic and Viste still competing in the B flight. Rodic, who made it to the championship match of the B flight, fell to Ball State's Broc Fletcher, 6-4, 6-4. Viste fell in his opening match of the weekend but fought his way back to the consolation championship. He ultimately fell in the final match to Ball State's Simmons, 6-3, 2-6, 10-3.
 
IUPUI will now prepare for the ITA Regionals on October 11 through October 15.