SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – The University of the Incarnate Word men's tennis team fell short of their first Southland Conference victory on Saturday. They lost by a narrow 4-3 margin to Nicholls at the Mabry Tennis Center.

The Cardinals (5-13, 0-2) have struggled this season to be the team that puts the first point on the board by winning the doubles competition and they were unable to take the point against the Colonels (7-7, 1-1).

Tucker Brown (New Braunfels/New Braunfels HS) and Joey Vatanadilok (San Antonio/Bridgeway Academy) lost 8-5 against Partha Adavelly and Lukas Clemens at the #1 seed and Brody Rodriguez (Austin/Cedar Park HS) and Andre Buchanan-Dempsey (Schertz/Randolph HS) lost 8-2 to Evan Karatzas and Sam Meessen at the #3 position, giving the guests the initial advantage.

Moving all focus to the singles contest, the Cardinals brushed off dropping the doubles point and came out to take the first three singles matches. Leonard Ivic (Split, Croatia/Economic Administration), Vatanadilok and Brown dominated at the #1, #3 and #4 positions, winning in straight sets. Vatanadilok limited his opponent Karatzas to winning just one game over two sets, winning 6-0, 6-1.

The score tally improved to 3-1 to the Cardinals and UIW needed just one more point to take the match. With Rodriguez losing in straight sets at the #5 seed and Andre Buchanan Dempsey already behind at #6, the deciding point fell to a gripping battle that was still in play at the #2 seed.

Josip Smoljan (Citluk, Bosnia and Herzegovinia/Sredjna Skola) and Lukas Clemens fought to a final third set after Smoljan came from behind to win the second and take the match to a tie break. Despite some great tennis and fierce determination, Clemens led right from the offing and Smoljan was unable to make a comeback and dropped the point.

The Cardinals are back in action on Sunday when they head to Baylor University to play the Bears at the Hurd Tennis Center at 10 a.m.
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