INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 7-ranked UIndy men's tennis team fell in the championship of the ITA DII National Men's Team Indoor Championship to the No. 3-ranked Saint Leo Lions by a score of 4-1.

For their great run, the Greyhounds had three nominees to the ITA All-Tournament Team. In Doubles, the Hounds brought home both the No. 1 spot, held by the No. 1 duo of Tom Zeuch and Edgar Destouet, and the No. 3 slot of Jason Gerweck and Nikolaj Talimaa. Singles the Hounds only nabbed one spot, the No. 6 singles spot coming from Thomas Mathis who was an impressive late week injury fill in. 
 
INS AND OUTS
Championship Sunday brought all the excitement in the world to the UIndy Tennis Center, with an even bigger crowd than the one the day prior coming to support the Hounds attempt at getting some new hardware for their trophy case. Doubles, as has been most of the season, was a strong suit for the Hounds, with Jason Gerweck and Nikolaj Talimaa jumping out fast to a 6-1 victory.
 
The Lions rattled back a win of their own at No. 2 doubles, leaving the point in the hands of the No. 1 duo, Edgar Destouet and Tom Zeuch. The Lions had dominated early in the battle between No. 1 and No. 14, winning the first two games. Multiple game wins by Zeuch and Destouet evened the score and eventually gave them the lead. The match continued to be back and forth with the Hounds coming out on top in the end.
 
Despite losing the doubles point, the Lions were far from down. They started with a win the back half of their lineup over August Ehrnrooth, 6-4, 6-4. The No. 37-ranked singles player Vincent Theil was next, scoring a win over Talimaa at the No. 3 slot in straight sets.
 
Destouet, battling a rolled ankle in the first set, held on for all he could, playing through gritted teeth, but it was not enough, as he fell in straight sets. The final match of the tournament came from Tom Zeuch and Martin Soukal. The Lion Soukal jumped Zeuch early, winning the first set 6-3, but Zeuch answered back big, winning the second 6-2. The third was an extremely close battle, with both teams cheering on their teammates, neither wanting to quit. Finally, Soukal outlasted Zeuch, claiming the final set 7-5, securing the championship for the Lions.
 
HOUND BYTES
Head Coach Malik Tabet on the tournament and his team's performance…
"It was a great match; we probably played the best team in division II. We win the doubles point, and we were in a really position after that. Every match was extremely competitive, I could not be more proud of my players in the way they introduced themselves today, and how they competed and represented out institution today."
 
UP NEXT
The gauntlet of ranked foes it not over for the No. 7 team in the nation, as they welcome back in a familiar foe in Wayne State for a rematch of the semifinals on March. 4 at 5 p.m.