Randy Rocchio

TOLEDO, OH - The University at Buffalo men's tennis team scored a 4-3 victory over Toledo Saturday afternoon in Mid-American Conference action at the UT Tennis Courts. The win improved the Bulls to 8-11 overall and 2-3 in league play while the Rockets fell to 9-10 overall, 0-3 MAC.

Toledo came into the match with just five players and were unable to field individuals at third doubles and sixth singles. UB's top doubles team of Randy Rocchio (East Amherst, NY/Williamsville East) and Nick Zieziula (Hamburg, NY/St. Francis) clinched the opening point of the match with a victory over Freddy Gomez and Cristobal Torral, 9-8 (10-4 in the tiebreaker). At number two, UB's Yules Hadisubroto (Jakarta, Indonesia/SMUN 21) and Albert Alant (Pretoria, South Africa/Niskayuna (NY)) fell to Todd Wojtkowski and Travis Curran, 8-2.

Mike Rockman

The Bulls claimed the match with two singles victories along with the default at number six as four of the five matches went to three sets. Rocchio gave the Bulls the win as he outlasted Gomez in the number one match. Rocchio took the first set, 6-4, before falling to Gomez, 6-1, in the second to force the tiebreaking set. That third set then went to a tiebreaker with Rocchio having enough left to win the breaker, 7-1 and claim the set, 7-6. Mike Rockman (Toronto, Ontario/Thornhill) picked up UB's other singles victory with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 win over Curran at number three.

At number two, Zieziula fell to Wojtkowski, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. At number four, UB's Josh Liederman (Queens Village, NY/Benjamin Cardozo) was defeated by Toral, 7-5, 6-2. At number five, Rangga Prayudha (Jakarta, Indonesia/ESI International Academy/Ventura College) lost to Brian Rager, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

The victory was the second MAC win of the season for the Bulls and the first ever against a team other than Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne, a MAC member in men's tennis only. "This is a long time coming for the Bulls' program," said head coach Russ Crispell. "We've been working extremely hard for the last several years trying to get a win from the original MAC schools."

Crispell also praised Rocchio for his incredible effort on Saturday. "Randy played some amazing tennis. He picked it up big time to win that third set tiebreaker."

The Bulls now head into the MAC Championships starting April 22 in Muncie, IN.

Buffalo 4, Toledo 3

Doubles

1 Randy Rocchio/Nick Zieziula (UB) d. Freddy Gomez/Cristobal Toral (UT), 9-8(4)

2 Yules Hadisubroto/Albert Alant (UB) d. Todd Wojtkowski/Travis Curran (UT), 8-2

3 UB won by default

Singles

1 Randy Rocchio (UB) d. Freddy Gomez (UT), 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(1)

2 Todd Wojtkowski (UT) d. Nick Zieziula (UB), 4-6, 6-1, 6-4

3 Mike Rockman (UB) d. Travis Curran (UT), 6-3, 4-6, 6-0

4 Cristobal Toral (UT) d. Josh Liederman (UB), 7-5, 6-2

5 Brian Rager (UT) d. Rangga Prayudha (UB), 7-5, 4-6, 6-3

6 UB won by default