Nathan Devereux

First-years Nebyou Minassie and Alon Liberman rose to the occasion and rallied back from a set down to clinch The College of Wooster men's tennis team's exciting 5-4 win over NCAA Div. II Walsh University on Saturday afternoon at D.J. Hard Tennis Courts in Wooster, Ohio.

Wooster (2-0) found itself down 4-3 after Walsh's (0-1) Alex Medina topped junior Nathan Devereux 2-6, 6-4, 6-0 at No. 3. The only other matches still in progress were Minassie and Liberman. Minassie dropped his opening set 6-4 in the fourth flight and stormed back to down Walsh's Dawson Drummond 7-5 and 6-3 over the final two sets. That thrust Liberman into the spotlight, and the rookie didn't disappoint with a come-from-behind 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Joao Campos.

Earlier in the match, Wooster staked itself to a 2-1 lead after doubles. Devereux teamed up with first-year Austin Hanna for a 9-7 win at No. 1, and Liberman and sophomore Joaquin Abos Amo picked up the swing point with an 8-6 win at No. 2.

Hanna rounded out the singles winners with a 6-3, 6-1 triumph in the first flight.

Noteworthy, Wooster's now logged three 5-4 scores against Walsh in its last four dual matches against the Cavaliers, and the Scots are 2-1 in such matches. Coincidentally, Wooster's 5-4 win in 2015 was clinched at No. 5 singles.

Next, Wooster travels to St. Louis, Mo. for the ITA Central Region Championships. Action is set to start on Sept. 28.