DUBUQUE, Iowa — Nebraska Wesleyan University men's tennis dropped a tight American Rivers Conference match to Loras on Friday evening, falling 4-3 on the road to the Duhawks. Despite winning three of six singles matches, the Prairie Wolves could not overcome the doubles point, which went to Loras to open the match.

Loras improved to 9-7 overall and 2-2 in conference play. Nebraska Wesleyan fell to 3-7 overall and 1-2 in the A-R-C.

HOW IT HAPPENED

In doubles, Loras swept all three positions to claim the point. Ashton Rames and Sam Rademacher fell 6-2 at No. 1 to Gage Becker and Hayden Martin. Riley Voss and Gavin Nichols pushed at No. 2 before dropping a 6-3 decision to Dali Martens and Jaimes Palmer. Zac Briggs and Ian Armbrust were competitive at No. 3, dropping a 6-4 decision to Abhyudit Nagar and Samuel Canas Guerrero.

Singles play told a different story for the Prairie Wolves, who won three of the six positions.

Rames was dominant at No. 4, rolling to a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Palmer in straight sets. Rademacher was dismantled at No. 5 losing 6-1, 6-3. Nichols survived a first-set tiebreak at No. 2, then closed out Martens 7-6, 6-4. Armbrust delivered the day's most dramatic win at No. 6, dropping the first set before rallying to force a match tiebreak, which he won 10-6 over Sean Sonoiki to complete a 4-6, 7-5, [10-6] victory.

Voss fell at No. 1 singles, dropping a 6-2, 6-0 decision to Gage Becker. Briggs dropped the opener at No. 3 before battling back to win the second set and force a third, ultimately falling 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 to Hayden Martin in the match's final result.

With the doubles point going to Loras and singles splitting 3-3, the Duhawks' early advantage proved to be the margin of victory.

UP NEXT

Nebraska Wesleyan remains in Dubuque for a 10 a.m. American Rivers Conference match Saturday, April 11.