ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – The Bethel University men's tennis team defeated Saint John's University 5-4 on Sunday afternoon at the Ona Orth Athletic Complex to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Royals are now 3-4 in the MIAC with just two conference matches remaining.
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"This was a fantastic win for the guys after a loss yesterday. It was an absolutely huge step for us to keep our playoff hopes alive," said head coach
Drew Fernelius.
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The Royals got out to a fast start on Sunday as they took a quick 2-1 lead in doubles play which included a narrow loss in the No. 2 match.Â
Matt Schull and
Luke Palmquist led off with an 8-5 victory in the opening match while the No. 3 team of
Hunter Fernelius and
Jakob Bartels closed out doubles with an 8-3 win to give Bethel the advantage heading into singles.
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Despite falling behind early in singles after dropping three matches in straight sets, the Royals were able to grind out two marathon matches to complete the comeback. Following a convincing win from Fernelius on the No. 3 court, Bartels won his match 13-11 in the third-set tiebreaker which set the stage for Schull to clinch the team victory with a long, two-set triumph of his own.
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The Royals will now have five days to prepare for their final home match which will take place on Saturday against Northwestern. Following this non-conference matchup, Bethel will have two MIAC contests against Hamline and St. Olaf to determine their postseason fate. Saturday's action is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. at the Ona Orth Athletic Complex.
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