WHITEWATER, Wis. - Just over a month after falling 5-4 to Grinnell, the Coe College men's tennis team won when it counted Friday afternoon.  Coe jumped out to a 2-1 lead after doubles and beat the Pioneers 5-1 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Sophomore Jeff Damisch (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy) and sophomore Michael Woolf (Palantine, Ill./Palantine) opened doubles play with an 8-4 win over Ishan Bhadkamkar and Benjamin Charney at number two doubles.  Coe's second doubles win came at number three, as junior Curtis Newman (Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny) and senior Victor Khristenko (Orel, Russia) beat Aaron Lapkin and Colin Johnson 8-6.

At number two singles, Khristenko beat Eric Ritter 6-1, 6-4.  Damisch was then a 6-3, 6-1 winner at number four singles before Newman sealed the match with a 6-3, 6-1 win at number five singles.

Improving to 23-7 on the year, the Kohawks advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the third time in school history.  Coe will be faced with the 15th-ranked team in the country, as Washington University in St. Louis earned a first round bye as the top seed of the regional.  The Kohawks and Bears will square off at 9 a.m. Saturday morning.  A link for live match updates can be found on the front of CoeAthletics.com