ANGOLA, Ind. - In their first home match of the season, the Trine University men's tennis team defeated Taylor (IN) University 5-4 to win their third straight match to start the season.

The Thunder kicked off the match with a quick win by the first doubles team of Dan Desper (Kendallville, Ind./East Noble) and Joe Dunbar (Carmel, Ind./Blessed Theodore Guerin) 8-3. The third doubles team of Nick Ihrie (Kendallville, Ind./East Noble) and David Murray (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) were next to come off the court winning 8-4.

The second doubles team of Zach Richardson (Muncie, Ind./Delta) and Trevor Derby (Kendallville, Ind./East Noble) were leading in their doubles match when junior Trevor Derby had a bad ankle sprain. Derby was unable to finish the match and was carried off of the court resulting in a forfeit of the second doubles match.

Leading the match 2-1, the Thunder needed only three singles victories to maintain their undefeated record. Dunbar lost a hard fought match at first singles 0-6, 6-1, 3-6 and Murray ran out of steam in the third set to drop the third singles match 6-4, 6-7, 0-6. Desper met a tough opponent at second singles but outlasted him to win 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. Freshman Joey Clark (Sturgis, Mich./Sturgis) maintained his 3-0 record at fourth singles by winning 7-5, 6-3. Richardson played at sixth singles and lost 1-6, 4-6.

Sophomore Nick Ihrie moved up from sixth singles to replace Trevor Derby after his injury and won the deciding match for the Thunder at fifth singles 6-2, 6-3.

Trine will head to Hilton Head, South Carolina for their spring break trip where they will play six matches in six days starting on March 4th when they face Westminster College.