DENVER – MSU Denver tennis players overcame tough circumstances Sunday and yet still cruised to victories over Division III Colorado College, with the men winning 6-1 and the women claiming a 5-2 victory.
 
It was an emotional Senior Day for Joey Tscherne and – after winning in No. 1 doubles with partner Mateo Besada – he started slowly against Colorado College's Noah Forman in No. 1 singles before rallying for a 7-6, 6-2 victory.
 
"It was tough for me," Tscherne said. "I was kind of in my own head a little bit and I wasn't really focused on the match. That gave the guy some room to work with in the match. It was tough for me to come back and win."
 
Tscherne, ranked 45^th nationally in Division II, won his seventh straight match.
 
"I wasn't locked in like I usually am," Tscherne said. "I had to play a few more games to get him. He's a good player, very talented. He makes you work hard."
 
Tscherne improved to 68-27 for his career, the second-highest win total in school history. He also won his fifth straight doubles match, improving to 62-26 for his career in doubles, the third highest doubles win total in the MSU Denver record book.
 
"The guys had a solid result today," Metropolitan State University of Denver coach Josh Graetz said. "It was awesome to see Joey get the win on Senior Day, against a really good opponent. 

"We're going to miss Joey. He's been a special player and person for this team. He will definitely leave behind a stronger team than when he arrived."
 
Tscherne, wearing his signature bandana in remembrance of his father, who passed away in 2016 after battling cancer, said he was touched to see several of his teammates also wearing bandanas on Sunday.
 
"Today was really awesome because they were all supporting me," Tscherne said. "They could tell I was a little bit down, and they went out of their way to try to support me, to get me motivated."
 
Meanwhile, the MSU Denver women, playing short-handed, won all the matches that were actually played, dropping only 15 games in six matches.
 
"For the women to come away with a 5-2 win with only four girls shows how much we have grown as a group this season," Graetz said. "They had to rise to the occasion which was awesome to see."

Both MSU Denver teams wrap up the regular season April 23 in 2 p.m. duals at Colorado State University-Pueblo.

Sunday's results:
 
MEN
MSU Denver 6, Colorado College 1
 
DOUBLES
No. 1: Joey Tscherne/Mateo Besada (MSUD) def. Noah Forman/Daniel Holland 6-2
No. 2: David Kijak/Alejandro Martinez-Morilla (MSUD) def. Jacob Adas/Christian Kitchen 6-3
No. 3: Daniel Llorente/Kacey Walisundara (MSUD) def. Alex Kley/Alex Wimer 6-1
 
SINGLES
No. 1: Tscherne def. Forman 7-6, 6-2
No. 2: Llorente def. Holland 6-1, 6-2
No. 3: Martinez Morilla def. Adas 6-0, 6-4
No. 4: Besada def. Kitchen 6-3, 6-4
No. 5: Kijak def. Kley 6-2, 6-2
No. 6: Wimer def. Walisundara 6-3, 6-1
 
WOMEN
MSU Denver 5, Colorado College 2
 
DOUBLES
No. 1: Alex Pessoa/Helena Steenberg (MSUD) def. Annie Zlevor/Simone Hall 6-0
No. 2: Eliza McKean/Ainsley Winterrowd (MSUD) def. Tess Rubin/Elise Chassman 6-1
No. 3: Colorado College by default
 
SINGLES
No. 1: Pessoa def. Rubin 6-1, 6-2
No. 2: Steenberg def. Zlevor 7-5, 6-1
No. 3: McKean def. Hall 6-2, 6-1
No. 4: Winterrowd def. Chassman 6-0, 6-2
No. 5: Colorado College by default
No. 6: Colorado College by default