MIAMISBURG, Ohio – The University of Dayton men's tennis team fell on Saturday night at home to Ball State 4-3. The Flyers got singles victories from senior Steven Karl and juniors Connor Bruce and Matt DeMarco, but it was not enough to take down the Cardinals, snapping a five-match winning streak for Dayton.
 
The Flyers fall to 5-4 on the season, while Ball State now sits at 3-2. The match began with Dayton dropping the doubles point, losing in No. 1 and No. 2 doubles. Bruce and senior Will Harper held a 4-3 lead on Court Three but went unfinished.
 
Dayton fought back in singles play, with Bruce taking down Thibault de Negri in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 to tie it at one in the top singles flight. The junior won his 32^nd career singles match, tying him with Harper for 25^th in program history.
 
Matt DeMarco put Dayton up 2-1 on Court Three, also winning in straight sets and battling back from a second-set deficit against Nathaniel Webster to win 6-3, 6-4 taking his fourth straight singles match and his sixth match this season.
 
Karl scored the third point for Dayton in No. 5 singles, battling back after dropping the first set to defeat Eli Herran in the final two frames 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 to put the Flyers one point away from taking the match.
 
Ball State took the points on Courts Two and Six to tie it at 3-3. Harper took Chris Adams to a third set, battling after falling behind 5-4 and 6-5 to force a tiebreak, but the senior fell 7-3 in the tiebreak to end the match.
 
The Flyers will head to Cleveland State to take on the Vikings next Friday, Feb. 18. That match is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. at Medical Mutual Tennis Pavilion in Cleveland.