THIBODAUX, La. – Looking to put an end to a five-match losing streak, the Nicholls State University men's tennis returned home for their first regular season match at the Colonel Tennis Complex and the Colonels came away with a narrow 4-3 victory over USC Upstate.
 
Nicholls (2-7) won the doubles point over USC (1-11) before splitting singles action. Bernard Wezeman clinched the match for the Colonels with a three-set win at No. 4 singles. The Spartans won the final match to make the score 4-3.
 
The Colonels started out the day by taking the first two doubles matches. Wezeman and Kieran Cronin dominated the No. 2 court with an 8-2 win and Partha Adavelly / Lukas Clemens gave Nicholls a 1-0 lead with an 8-6 win at No. 1. Upstate's Matt Bennion and Ignacio Garrido won the No. 3 match over Sam Meessen and Evan Karatzas, 8-6.
 
In singles, Adavelly fell in straight sets to Ramon Simonetti, 6-1, 6-3, but Clemens put Nicholls back on top with a 6-3, 6-3 win against Ewers on the No. 5 court. The Colonels and Spartans alternated wins and losses again with the next two completed matches as Karatzas was defeated 6-4, 6-2 on the No. 2 court while Meessen won 6-4, 6-3 at No. 3.
 
With Nicholls leading 3-2, Wezeman battled back from a 7-6 loss in the first set to knock off Garrido with 6-2 wins in sets two and three to secure the team victory. Max Sinn and Bennion finished out the day at No. 6, with Bennion winning 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.
 
The Colonels will return to action on Friday, March 20, at home against Alcorn State. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m.
 
Nicholls 4, USC Upstate 3
 
Singles
1. SIMONETTI, Ramon (UPSTMTN) def. Partha Adavelly (NICM) 6-1, 6-3
2. SELANDER, Viktor (UPSTMTN) def. Evan Karatzas (NICM) 6-4, 6-2
3. Sam Meessen (NICM) def. DHARNI, Rajanvir (UPSTMTN) 6-4, 6-3
4. Bernard Wezeman (NICM) def. GARRIDO, Ignacio (UPSTMTN) 6-7, 6-2, 6-2
5. Lukas Clemens (NICM) def. EWERS, Felix (UPSTMTN) 6-3, 6-3
6. BENNION, Matt (UPSTMTN) def. Max Sinn (NICM) 6-1, 4-6, 6-4
 
Doubles
1. Partha Adavelly/Lukas Clemens (NICM) def. SIMONETTI, Ramon/DHARNI, Rajanvir (UPSTMTN) 8-6
2. Bernard Wezeman/Kieran Cronin (NICM) def. SELANDER, Viktor/EWERS, Felix (UPSTMTN) 8-2
3. BENNION, Matt/GARRIDO, Ignacio (UPSTMTN) def. Sam Meessen/Evan Karatzas (NICM) 8-6
 
Match Notes:
USC Upstate 1-11
Nicholls 2-7
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (1,5,2,3,4,6)