MARION, Ind. -- Courtesy of a 5-3 victory over Grace (Ind.) College the Indiana Wesleyan University men’s tennis team will play in the NCCAA National Tournament on May 6-10 in Mobile, Alabama.

Indiana Wesleyan earned the automatic bid in the win over Grace in the NCCAA Midwest Regional Final at the Sutter Tennis Center. The win over Grace was the second over the Lancers during the 2012-13 season. The Wildcats came up big in singles matches to finish off the victory. Following two losses in doubles matches, the Wildcats won four of five in singles for the win.

Leonard Mathews and Brandon Dubuque took an 8-4 win in No. 2-doubles play for the only Indiana Wesleyan point. Kyle Johnson and Daniel Stoddard fell 8-6 in the top doubles match while Brooks Ayers and Daniel Smith lost 8-5 in No. 3-doubles.

The Wildcats rebounded in singles after falling in the two close doubles matches. Johnson (7-6, 6-4) won No. 1-singles, Mathews (6-7, 6-4, 6-2) won a battle in No. 2-singles, Stoddard (6-1, 6-2) earned the victory at No. 4-singles, and Ayers (7-6, 7-5) claimed the point in the No. 5 match.

Smith fell 6-2, 6-3 in the No. 6-singles battle for the only singles match loss for Indiana Wesleyan. Dubuque did not finish at the No. 3 spot as the match was still ongoing when Indiana Wesleyan clinched the team victory.

The Wildcats improve to 18-5 this year and 5-3 during the spring schedule. IWU will now wait to find out their schedule for the NCCAA National Championships in early May.