Box score
Glendale, WI – St. Norbert College held the upper hand in singles play and defeated the Prairie Fire 5-4 on Saturday.
The Green Knights (2-8) have won their last two matches after dropping eight straight to start the season.
Two of the six singles matches included a tiebreaker and a third set to determine the victor.
Knox (4-8) earned two wins in the singles competition, which was played first, and needed to sweep the three doubles matches to pick up a non-conference victory against the Knights. St. Norbert prevented that from happening by taking the #3 doubles match 8-2.
Sophomore Jonathan Ng (Hong Kong, China, Hong Kong International School) and senior David Ham (Lakewood, WA, Shadow Ridge) won their #3 and #4 singles matches, respectively.
Ham defeated Josh Sweere 6-3, 7-5 to improve to 6-6 on the season. Ng and St. Norbert’s Nick Acosta played through a pair of tiebreakers and an extra set. Ng fell in the first set 6-7 (5-7) before rebounding to win the second set 7-6 (7-0) and the third 6-2 for his fifth singles victory in 2013.
Sophomore Walter Palmer (Wilmette, IL, New Trier), who was recently moved up to the #2 singles slot, had a battle of his own against Matt Lobeck of the Knights in the closest match of the day. Palmer lost the first set 5-7, bounced back and won the second 7-6 (7-5) before Lobeck claimed the match with a 6-4 third set victory.
Sophomore Karl Ruzgas (Downers Grove, IL, Downers Grove North) and Palmer downed St. Norbert’s #1 doubles team of Tim Hartwick and Acosta 8-6. Ng and Ham won their #2 doubles match 8-6 against Lobeck and Casey Brice.
Ruzgas and Palmer own an 8-4 record in #1 doubles while Ng and Ham improved to 6-6 in #2 doubles.
Knox plays the next three matches in Orlando, Florida. The first opponent is Western New England University on March 19 at 2:00 p.m. ET at Star Island Resort. The Prairie Fire will also square off against the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse on March 20 at Oak Street Park at 12:00 p.m. ET and Calvin College on March 21 at Oak Street Park at 12:00 p.m. ET
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