JMU Battles to 4-3 Win over Bucknell at Home

Saturday, March 26

Harrisonburg, Va.

10 a.m.

James Madison University

Bucknell

3/26/2016 2:52:00 PM | Men's Tennis

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison men's tennis battled for the 4-3 win over Bucknell on Saturday morning, sinking the Bison on four singles victories as the Dukes moved to 8-8 on the year.

Of JMU's four singles points, three were picked up in come-from-behind fashion over a full three sets. The final three-set match was battled out between junior Miljan Ruzic and Ben Gerber at No. 5 singles, with Ruzic prevailing 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 for match point.

The Dukes trailed the Bison 1-0 heading into singles play, but junior Alex Berdnikoff got JMU on the board with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory over Max McDonald at No. 6 singles. He sparked a three-point run for the Dukes, helped along by a two-set win (6-2, 7-6(6)) by Maxi Branth at No. 3 and a three-set triumph (1-6, 6-3, 6-2) by Tristan Stitt at No. 4.

Bucknell tied the match again at 3-all off a pair of two-set matches that went to tiebreaks at the top of the lineup. Nick Bybel won in straight 7-5 sets against junior Sebastian Salinas at No. 1 singles, and Daniel Wright defeated junior Brett Moorhead 7-5, 7-6(5) at No. 2.

To open the day, JMU trailed at doubles 1-0, but Stitt and Branth tied the Dukes and Bison at 1-all with a come-from-behind 6-4 victory over Kane and Timber Erskine at No. 1 doubles. The decisive point came at the No. 3 position, as Moorhead and Berdnikoff came back from a 5-2 deficit to Wright and Gerber to tie it at 5-5 and hold off match point. The Bison, however, won the final two games to secure the opening point for Bucknell.

JMU gets a week off from competition before returning to the courts on Sunday, April 3. The Dukes face Davidson in a noon match at Hillside Courts.

POSTGAME

FULL RESULTS
Doubles (2,1,3*)

Stitt/Branth def. Kane/Timber Erskine 6-4
Bybel/Vitiuc def. Salinas/Ruzic 6-3
Wright/Gerber def. Moorhead/Berdnikoff 7-5

Singles (6,3,4,1,2,5*)

Nick Bybel def. Sebastian Salinas 7-5, 7-5
Daniel Wright def. Brett Moorhead 7-5, 7-6 (7-5)
Maxi Branth def. Max Kane 6-2, 7-6 (8-6)
Tristan Stitt def. Andrei Vitiuc 1-6, 6-3, 6-2
Miljan Ruzic def. Ben Gerber 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
Alex Berdnikoff def. Max McDonald 1-6, 6-4, 6-1

PHOTO OF THE DAY

For the full photo gallery, click here.

UP NEXT
The Dukes return to Hillside Courts on Sunday, April 3, at noon to face Davidson.