GREELEY, Colo. – The MSU Denver men's tennis team knocked off NCAA Division I Northern Colorado 4-3 on Sunday.
 
"I'm so proud of the guys," Metropolitan State University of Denver coach Josh Graetz said. "This result gives the guys so much confidence moving forward that we can beat anybody when we come out and play our best."
 
MSU Denver had lost duals to the Bears for each of the past eight years, but wins from Joey Tscherne and Mateo Besada – both as the Roadrunners' No. 1 doubles combination as well as in singles play at Nos. 1 and 4, respectively – helped MSU Denver improve to 7-8 in duals this season.
 
Northern Colorado dropped to 8-10 in duals, which includes a 4-9 mark against Division I foes.
 
Tscherne and Besada topped Kyle Pease and Tommy Smalley 6-4 in doubles, and combined with a win by the No. 2 doubles pairing of David Kijak and Alejandro Martinez-Morilla by 6-1 over Nick Wade and Julian Kenzlers, MSU Denver earned the doubles point.
 
"We came out really strong in doubles which in the end was the difference," Graetz said.
 
Tscherne outlasted Pease 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 for his fifth straight singles victory, while Besada handled Alex Exsted 7-6, 6-2.
 
Daniel Llorente's 6-7, 6-4, 6-3 win over Adolfo Arroyo in No. 2 singles wound up being the deciding win.

"We had our ups and downs today as a team but it was great to see us end on a high today," Graetz said. "Dani played some unbelievable tennis today to clinch the match today. I'm so proud of the way he stayed composed there at the end." 
 
DOUBLES
No. 1 : Joey Tscherne/Mateo Besada (MSUD) def. Kyle Pease/Tommy Smalley, 6-4
No. 2: David Kijak/Alejandro Martinez-Morilla (MSUD) def. Nick Wade/Julian Kenzlers, 6-1
No. 3: Adolfo Arroyo/Mikey Kritzinger (UNC) def. Daniel Llorente/Kacey Walisundara, 6-0
 
SINGLES
No. 1: Tscherne (MSUD) def. Pease, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1
No. 2: Llorente (MSUD) def. Arroyo, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3
No. 3: Kenzlers (UNC) def. Martinez-Morilla, 2-6, 6-0, 6-1
No. 4: Besada (MSUD) def. Alex Exsted, 7-6, 6-2
No. 5: Wade (UNC) def. Kijak, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1
No. 6: Kritzinger (UNC) def. Walisundara, 7-6, 6-1