RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University men’s tennis team defeated Cumberland (6-1) and Dayton (4-3) Friday in the Greg Adams Indoor Tennis Center. With the two victories, the Colonels improve to 4-3 this season.

Sophomore Emilio Piriz (No. 5) earned the decisive point in the match against Dayton. Piriz trailed 5-2 in the first set before rattling off 11 of the final 13 games.

“To win both of these matches without our top two players speaks very highly to our depth this year,” EKU head coach Rob Oertel said. “The way Emilio came back to take control of his match was very impressive.”

Eastern Kentucky is back in action next Friday, Feb. 19 at Xavier.

Eastern Kentucky 6, Cumberland 1

Singles
1. Niklas Schroeder (EKU) def. Mike Basler (CU) 7-6, 6-2
2. Carlos Valdenebro (EKU) def. Na’im Azhar (CU) 6-2, 7-5
3. Carles Pons (EKU) def. Jeremy Fleming (CU) 6-0, 6-3
4. Emilio Piriz (EKU) def. Felipe Oliveira (CU) 6-2, 6-0
5. Philip Janz (EKU) def. Cristhian Hernandez (CU) 6-0, 6-2
6. Devin Crotzer (CU) won by default

Doubles
1. Piriz/Schroeder (EKU) def. Azhar/Basler (CU) 8-3
2. Pons/Valdenebro (EKU) def. Crotzer/Fleming (CU) 8-2
3. Hernandez/Oliveira (CU) won by default

Match Notes: Eastern Kentucky (3-3); Cumberland (0-1)
Order of Finish: Singles (6, 3, 4, 2, 1*, 5); Doubles (3, 2, 1)

Eastern Kentucky 4, Dayton 3

Singles
1. Niklas Schroeder (EKU) def. Matt Sherman (UD) 6-4, 6-4
2. Robert Salcedo (UD) def. Carlos Valdenebro (EKU) 7-6, 7-5
3. Carles Pons (EKU) def. Robbie McCallum (UD) 6-4, 6-1
4. Philip Janz (EKU) def. Joe West (UD) 6-4, 6-1
5. Emilio Piriz (EKU) def. Bryce Warnock (UD) 7-5, 6-2
6. Austin Wiegand (UD) def. Parul Verma (EKU) 6-0, 7-5

Doubles
1. Janz/Schroeder (EKU) def. Sherman/West (UD) 8-5
2. McCallum/Warnock (UD) def. Pons/Valdenebro (EKU) 8-3
3. Salcedo/Wiegand (UD) def. Klientovsky/Piriz (EKU) 9-8

Match Notes: Eastern Kentucky (4-3); Dayton (2-6)
Order of Finish: Doubles (2, 1, 3); Singles (3, 4, 1, 2, 6, 5*)