Sprlak-Puk Captures Win, but Huskers Fall to Hoosiers

Albert Sprlak-Puk scored a singles victory over Indiana's Vikash Singh, but it was not enough as the Nebraska men's tennis team (0-2, 0-2 Big Ten) came up short on Sunday, falling to the Indiana Hoosiers (1-1, 1-1 Big Ten) by a final score of 1-6 at the Dillon Tennis Center.  

The match began with doubles play. At the No. 1 spot, the duo of Bennett Crane and Michael Andre topped William Gleason and Victor Moreno Lozano, 7-6 (4). At No. 2, Patrick Fletchall and Andrew Redding defeated Patrick Cacciatore and Sprlak-Puk, 6-4, to secure the doubles point for the Hoosiers.

In singles play, the Hoosiers won five of six matches. No. 48 Bennett Crane picked up a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Lozano at the No. 1 spot. At No. 2, Gleason squared off against Andrew Redding. Gleason won the first set 6-3 but Redding stormed back to win the second set 6-2 and then also took the third set 6-2. In a closely contested match, Sprlak-Puk got the win at the No. 3 spot against Vikash Singh, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1. Michael Andre led wire-to-wire at No. 4, defeating Nic Wiedenhorn 6-3, 6-3. The No. 5 spot saw a tight match between Luka Vukovic and Shunya Maruyama, with Maruyama winning the first set, Vukovic taking the second, and Vukovic closing the match with a tiebreaker win played in lieu of a third set, 6-7 (2), 6-2, 11-9. Cacciatore and Patrick Fletchall battled at the No. 6 with Fletchall ending victorious, 6-2, 6-3.

Up next, the Huskers will travel to Iowa City, Iowa, to take on their Big Ten border rival Iowa Hawkeyes on Sunday, February 28 at 3 p.m.

Tennis Match Results Indiana vs Nebraska Feb 21, 2021 at Sid Dillon Tennis Center in Lincoln, Neb.

Indiana 6, Nebraska 1

Singles competition

1. #48 Bennett Crane (IND) def. Victor Moreno Lozano (NEB) 6-2, 6-4
2. Andrew Redding (IND) def. William Gleason (NEB) 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
3. Albert Sprlak-Puk (NEB) def. Vikash Singh (IND) 5-7, 6-2, 6-1
4. Michael Andre (IND) def. Nic Wiedenhorn (NEB) 6-3, 6-3

5. Luka Vukovic (IND) def. Shunya Maruyama (NEB) 6-7 (2), 6-2, 11-9 (11-9) 6. Patrick Fletchall (IND) def. Patrick Cacciatore (NEB) 6-2, 6-3

Doubles competition

1. Bennett Crane/Michael Andre (IND) def. William Gleason/Victor Moreno Lozano (NEB) 7-6 (4)
2. Patrick Fletchall/Andrew Redding (IND) def. Patrick Cacciatore/Albert Sprlak-Puk (NEB) 6-4
3. Nic Wiedenhorn/Shunya Maruyama (NEB) vs. William Piekarsky/Ilya Tiraspolsky (IND) 6-6, unfinished

Match Notes:
Indiana 1-1
Nebraska 0-2
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (6,4,1,2,3)