In a weekend defined by grit and late-match execution, the Hope College men's tennis team delivered two narrow 4–3 wins, rallying from early deficits and sealing both matches with poised singles performances. 

After defeating both Milwaukee School of Engineering and Illinois Institute of Technology on the road on Saturday, the Flying Dutchmen improved to 4-2 on the season. 

Against MSOE, Hope dropped the doubles point, but the Orange and Blue responded with four singles victories to complete the comeback win. 

Junior Ned Curley (Plymouth, Michigan / Detroit Catholic Central HS) and junior Cooper Nugent (Rochester Hills, Michigan / Rochester Adams) both rallied for three-set super-tiebreak wins at the top of the lineup, while sophomore Blake Smith (Bloomfield Hills, Michigan / Birmingham Seaholm) and junior Alec Maynard (Northville, Michigan / Detroit Catholic Central) added straight-set victories to push Hope across the finish line.

 Doubles

1: Alec Maynard / Cooper Nugent (HC) def. Carlos Lopez / Randy Funez (MSOE), 6-4

2: Miguel Lopex / Clark Rue (MSOE) def. Paul Schneider / Elliot Dozeman (HC), 6-2

3: Augusto Yamazaki / Pedro Mendes (MSOE) def. Rylan Doden / Ned Curley (HC), 6-4 

Singles 

1: Ned Curley (HC) def. Miguel Lopez (MSOE), 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-6)

2: Cooper Nugent (HC) def. Randy Funez (MSOE), 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (10-5)

3: Augusto Yamazaki (MSOE) def. Rylan Doden (HC), 4-6, 6-0

4: Blake Smith (HC) def. Carlos Lopez (MSOE), 6-4, 6-3

5: Clark Rue (MSOE) def. Paul Schneider (HC), 6-3, 6-3

6: Alec Maynard (HC) def. Pedro Mendes (MSOE), 6-2, 6-2

Against Illinois Tech, Hope again found itself trailing after doubles, but the singles lineup delivered four wins yet again. 

Curley, Smith and junior Paul Schneider (Fishers, Indiana / Hamilton Southeastern) all prevailed in third-set super-tiebreaks.

Sophomore Elliot Dozeman (Holland, Michigan / West Ottawa) added a straight-set win at No. 5 to clinch the win. 
 

Doubles

1: Alexander Feher / Tanay Sharma (ITECH) def. Alec Maynard / Cooper Nugent (HC),  7-6 (7-5)

2: Pedro Roca / Hozumi Tada (ITECH) def. Paul Schneider / Elliot Dozeman (HC), 6-3

3: Pol Dueso-Guell / Tejas Sheth (ITECH) def. Owen Jackson (Traverse City, Michigan / St. Francis) / Ned Curley (HC), 6-4

Singles

1: Ned Curley (HC) def. Pedro Roca (ITECH) 6-2, 3-6, 1-0 (10-6)

2: Tanay Sharma (ITECH) def. Rylan Doden (Fort Wayne, Indiana / Blackhawk Christian) (HC), 6-2, 6-1

3: Paul Schneider (HC) def. Alex Feher (ITECH), 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 1-0 (10-8)

4: Blake Smith (HC) def. Pol Dueso Guell (ITECH), 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (11-9)

5: Elliot Dozeman (HC) def. Hozumi Tada (ITECH), 6-2, 6-1

6: Joseph Au (ITECH) def. Owen Jackson (HC), 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (10-4)
 

Hope is back in action on Saturday, February 28, at home against Oberlin College at 5 p.m. at the DeWitt Tennis Center.