Storm Suffer Narrow Losses on Road Swing

Box Score 1 DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern faced a rough road swing through Lawton, Okla., and Wichita Falls, Texas, dropping a pair of narrow defeats, first falling 4-3 to Cameron before hitting the same score against No. 22 Washburn, before closing the weekend with a 4-0 loss to Southwest Baptist.
 
The losses drops the Savage Storm to 2-4 on the season as they will next be in action on March 13 versus Emporia State at 10 a.m. at the Southeastern Tennis Complex.
 
"Although we went 0-3 on the weekend," said head coach Brian Nelson, "We showed we can compete with almost anyone. I feel our best match was with #17 Washburn, as we had two big chances to get key points, both in the doubles and at #4 singles with Marin Jurkovic. Just winning one of those two would have possibly ended up winning the dual for us and a big central region matchup. We have to find ways to pull out that extra point, as last year was the same issue losing several close 4-3 matches. So far this spring we have now lost 3 matches by a 4-3 decision, two to top 20 teams. If we can improve at some areas, we can get up there as well. We will continue to work hard in practice and get better."
 
SE pushed through a rough opening to the trip, narrowly losing 4-3 to both Cameron and Washburn.
 
Versus the Aggies, the Storm picked up the win in doubles, earning the point for a 1-0 lead.
 
SE then grabbed wins at Number four singles with Marin Jurkovic as well as three singles with Gen Naraya.
 
Unfortunately, The Storm would drop the remaining four singles positions in a tight 4-3 loss.
 
In the Washburn match, Southeastern got off to a slow start, dropping the doubles point in a back and forth set of contests.
 
After picking up a win at one doubles in a tiebreaker, the match would even with WU winning at number three, 6-4.
 
The doubles point was clinched when the Ichabods picked up a 706 tiuebreaker win at number two.
 
In singles play, the Storm bounced back with quick wins at number one and two singles to take a 2-1 lead.
 
Washburn responded with win at number three and six to regain a 302 lead.
 
Thabo Ncube won in straight sets to event he match at 3-3 with only Jurkovic still on court at number four singles.
 
He would pick up a win in the first set, but would drop a second-set tiebreaker 9-7 to even his match. Jurkovic would fall in the final set, 6-4, to set the match final at 4-3.
 
In the weekend finale versus a Southwest Baptist team which was receiving votes in the national poll, the Storm opened plat very flat.
 
Again the doubles point was very close, as SE started off with a win at number three, but would suffer losses at one and two to fall behind 1-0.
 
SBU would come out and pick up wins at numbers two, four, and five to secure the 4-0 win as the teams agreed to play till the match was clinched.