INDIANAPOLIS--In a battle of nationally ranked teams separated by one spot on the ladder, Delta State slipped by Hawai`i Hilo on Saturday morning at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships at the UIndy Tennis Center, 4-1.

No. 15 Delta State now plays in Sunday's Fifth Place Match and the No. 16 Vulcans will play for Seventh at 8 a.m. ET (3 a.m. HT). UH Hilo will face off against the loser of No. 8 Indianapolis University and No. 11 North Georgia, to be played next in Indianapolis.

The Vulcans made a brave effort, pushing all three Statesmen clinching matches to deep into the third set before falling. Delta State improved to 3-3 on the season with the win, while the Vulcans dropped to 1-5.

UH Hilo's top player Martin Soukal had a magnificent morning. He teamed with Alessio Demichelis to win in doubles on court number one, 6-2 and then went three sets to capture victory in singles on the same court, 6-1, 4-6, 6-0 over Emile Le Terrier. The 6-foot-5 junior from the Czech Republic improved to 4-1 in singles on the young season.

That would be UH Hilo's only victory on the day, although the final score is deceiving. Luca Matheiowetz made a tremendous comeback on court five in a match that went down as unfinished. Matheiowetz dropped the first set 6-4, but came back to claim set two, 7-5. In the third set, he trailed 4-0 before climbing out to win five straight games to sit one win away from the match (5-4). His opponent Jordan Hayes stayed alive to make it 5-5, but Matheiowetz won again (6-5) to again sit a game away from a victory before the match was halted and declared unfinished.

Demichelis made a similar effort to rally back at No. 2 in the third set before Hugo Stroppaina closed the match, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Demichelis trailed 4-0 in the third set before rallying back with three wins. Joshua Liu also dropped a tight match on court six, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 and Agustin Gentile was in a battle on court three, winning the first set 7-6 (7-4) before falling 6-4 in the second. The third set went unfinished in the clinch format. 

On Sunday, the Vulcans will have the uber early match again, but will then return to Hilo and won't play again until mid-March.

Singles competition
1. M. Soukal (UHH)  def. E. Le Terrier (DSU), 6-1, 4-6, 6-0.
2. H. Stroppiana (DSU) def. A. Demichelis (UHH), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
3. C. Bracaval (DSU) vs. A. Gentile (UHH), 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 5-1, UNF.
4. E. Elazarraraz (DSU) def. L. Checchia (UHH), 6-0, 6-4.
5. J. Hayes (DSU) vs. L. Matheiowetz (UHH), 6-4. 5-7. 5-6. UNF.
6. F. Roldan (DSU) def. J. Liu (UHH), 7-6 (8-6), 6-4
Singles order of finish: 4-1-6-2

Doubles competition
1. Soukal/Demichelis (UHH) def. Le Terrier/Hayes (DSU), 6-2
2. Stroppiana/Bracaval (DSU)  def. Liu/Matheiowetz (UHH), 6-3.
3. Roldan/Elazarraraz (DSU def. Checchia/Gentile (UH), 6-2.
Doubles order of finish: 1-3-2

Records: #16 Delta State 3-3, #15 UH Hilo 1-5