(photo courtesy CUI sports information and UHH alum Billi Derleth)

IRVINE, Calif.--Just two days after a heartbreaking 4-3 loss to No. 8 nationally ranked Azusa Pacific, the No. 20 UH Hilo men's tennis team bounced back with a 4-2 victory over No. 14 Concordia on Monday afternoon at the CUI Tennis Courts

The Vulcans improved to 3-2 on the season, while the Eagles fell to 4-3. For both teams, their only losses this season have been to nationally ranked Division II teams.

It was the back end of the ladder that pushed UHH to the triumph. They used straight sets win at No. 6 singles from Joshua Liu and a pair of three-set battles that went UH Hilo's way on court three (Luca Checchia) and four (Chun En Wu).

Checchia and Santiago Di Loreto also won a key match-up on court two in doubles (7-5) and En Wu and Liu won on court three (6-3) to give the Vulcans the all-important doubles point.

Concordia won at No. 1 doubles in a tiebreaker over Martin Soukal and Alessio Demichelis and the Eagles also won the singles battles on the top two courts. Soukal fell to Yassine Smiej 7-6, 6-2 and Demichelis lost a three-setter to Patrick Wong, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0. 

Five of the six singles matches went three sets or had a tiebreaker in the scoring column. Two of the three doubles matches had to go extra time.

"It was a spirited battle," said Vulcan head coach Kallen Mizuguchi. "It was a great bounce back win after losing a close match to Azusa Pacific. Tomorrow is another good test at Point Loma."

UH Hilo wraps up their southern California trip on Tuesday in San Diego, taking on the Sea Lions. It will be the Vulcans' fourth match in five days.
  CUI Campus Tennis Center, Irvine, Calif.

Singles competition
1. Yassine Smiej (CUI) def. Martin Soukal (UHH), 7-6, 6-2.
2. Patrick Wong (CUI) def. Alessio Demichelis (UHH), 3-6, 6-2, 6-0.
3. Luca Checchia (UHH) def. Mike Jansen (CUI), 6-4, 5-7, 5-1, Def.
4. Chun En Wu (UHH) def. Jan Simon (CUI), 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.
5. Santiago Di Loreto (UHH) vs. Benjamin Buck (CUI), 5-7 0-4, UNF.
6. Joshua Liu (UHH) def. Gertjan De Wilder (CUI), 6-1, 6-2.
Singles order of finish: 6-

Doubles competition
1. Smiej/Jansen (CUI) def. Soukal/Demichelis (UHH), 7-6.
2. Checchia/Di Loreto (UHH) def. Wong/Simon (CUI), 7-5.
3. En Wu/Liu (UHH), def. Buck/De Wilder (CUI), 6-3.
Doubles order of finish: 3-2-1

Records: No. 20 UH Hilo 3-2, No. 14 Concordia 4-3