CLINTON, S.C. — The Gardner-Webb (11-3, 2-0) men's tennis team battled through a tightly contested match and came away with a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Presbyterian on Saturday afternoon at the Templeton Tennis Courts.

Gardner-Webb opened the day by securing the doubles point with wins on courts two and three. The duo of Alexandre Bergeron and Noah Zeiger earned a solid 6-3 victory, while Graham Bourne and Johan Van Wijk delivered a commanding 6-2 win to give the Bulldogs an early 1-0 advantage.

In singles play, Gardner-Webb found itself in a back-and-forth battle as Presbyterian evened the match with wins at No. 2 singles and in a tight three-set decision at the top spot.

The Runnin' Bulldogs responded with key performances across the lineup. Bourne put together a strong straight-set win at No. 6 singles, 6-4, 6-1, to even the match. Zeiger followed with an impressive comeback at No. 3, dropping the first set before dominating the next two, 6-1, 6-3.

Van Wijk delivered another crucial point for Gardner-Webb at No. 5 singles, grinding out a three-set victory, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, to keep the Runnin' Bulldogs within striking distance.

With the match hanging in the balance, Presbyterian edged out a narrow three-set win at No. 4 singles, setting up a dramatic finish. Gardner-Webb ultimately secured the match with its earlier singles victories, sealing the 4-3 team win.

"I am very excited to be 2-0 in conference play", said head coach Mike Griffith. "Now, we go back to the practice courts and running track to be better."

The Runnin' Bulldogs return to action on Sunday, March 29, traveling to take on the Wildcats of Davidson in a non-conference bout.