ROGERS, Minn. – Senior Spencer Wick and first year Michael Yousef provided three points, but the St. Olaf College men's tennis team dropped a 5-4 nail-biter to Bethel University on Friday at Rogers Tennis Club.

Wick and Yousef combined for a win at No. 1 doubles and posted victories at the top-two singles spots for St. Olaf (4-6, 2-6 MIAC). After getting wins at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles, Bethel (5-7, 5-2 MIAC) got the singles split it needed with triumphs at No. 3, No. 5, and No. 6 singles.

The Royals won the first two doubles matches to finish before Wick and Yousef improved to 4-1 as partners this season with an 8-6 victory at No. 1 doubles. Wick and Yousef have won three of their four MIAC matches as a tandem.

Bethel got to the five points needed to win the match by claiming the first three completed singles matches. After straight-set victories at No. 5 and No. 6 singles, Jason Reilly edged Henry Smith, 10-5, in a super tiebreaker in a tight match at No. 3 singles to provide the decisive fifth point.

Despite the team result being decided, St. Olaf battled to wins in the final three singles matches. Yousef came from 5-2 down in the second set to post a 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) victory before Wick bounced back from dropping the second set of his No. 1 singles match to record a 6-3, 2-6, 10-6 win.

In another match to go the distance, Ethan Bruha won a marathon first-set tiebreaker and the super tiebreaker to outlast Tyler Creelman by a 7-6 (15-13), 0-6, 10-6 score line at No. 4 singles. Bruha and Yousef's victories moved their respective singles records to 5-5 this season, which lead the team.

St. Olaf hosts UW-Superior in a non-conference match on Saturday, April 24 at 11 a.m.