AZUSA, Calif.— The Colorado Mesa University men's tennis team came agonizingly close to an upset win over nationally-ranked Hawai'i Hilo but dropped three 3-set singles matches and two set tie-breakers as the Vulcans escaped with a 4-3 win over the Mavericks on Tuesday here on the campus of Azusa Pacific University.
 
The Mavs won the doubles point with a 7-2 tie-breaker win from Henry Scheck and William Leschig in the top flight and later took a 2-0 team lead over the 39^th-ranked Vulcans after Emil Hultman posted a convincing 6-1, 6-1 No. 4 singles win over the Vulcans' Luca Matheiowetz.
 
However, national No. 49 singles player Cian McDonnell was able to escape with a 7-5, 7-6 (7-4) win over Leschig at No. 2 doubles before Ryo Minakata came from behind to defeat CMU's Philemon Jabin by a 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 margin in the top flight to even the dual at 2-2.
 
Jorge Abreu, who also teamed with Diogo Manzano for a No. 2 doubles win, then gave the Mavs a 3-2 team lead as he closed out Yu Jhe Du, 6-3, 6-3 at No. 5 singles.
 
Meanwhile, the other two singles matches went to three sets as Lamar Bartley came from behind to defeat Scheck, 4-6, 7-6 (7-0), 6-4 at No. 3 singles to keep the Vulcans alive.
 
Filippo Di Perna then got past CMU freshman Axel Scholl, also coming from a set down to win, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5  as the Vulcans won the dual.
 
Hilo, which had won a pair of 4-1 decisions over the Mavs just nine days earlier in Grand Junction, Colorado, improved to 5-3 on the season while the Mavs dropped their sixth straight to fall to 5-11.
 
The Mavs will continue a 4-day, 5-match swing through California on Wednesday afternoon when they will face Pacific West Conference newcomer Westmont in Santa Barbara.