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<h1 align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;text-decoration:none">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – February 19, 2023<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;color:black">No. 10 Baylor MT Falls Short in Battle Against No. 16 Florida, 4-2</span></b><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color:black">Velcz marks two ranked wins against the Gators<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt">For more information contact:
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt">Colin Pirtle; 940-564-0351, </span><a href="mailto:colin_pirtle1@baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt">colin_pirtle1@baylor.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">CHICAGO –
</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Baylor men’s tennis closed out the ITA Indoor National Team Championships on Sunday afternoon with a 4-2 loss against the 16<sup>th</sup>-ranked Florida Gators.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The Bears (5-8) lost the doubles point after a close 7-5 decision on Court Three but fought back to win two singles matches and forced three additional third set matches.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">THE RUNDOWN<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Doubles play saw a pair of 6-1 decisions for the Gators and for the Bears on Courts One and Two, respectively. Axel Nefve and Will Grant beat No. 9 Finn Bass and Juan Pablo
Grassi Mazzuchi on one, while Tadeas Paroulek and Zsombor Velcz recorded their third ranked win this season over No. 15 Tanapatt Nirunndorn and Togan Tokac.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">With the doubles point coming down to Court Three, Ethan Muza and Luc Koenig fought the entire match, but the Gator pair of Jonah Braswell and Lukas Greif got a late break
to clinch the point, 7-5.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">In singles play, Nefve struck first in defeating No. 117 Paroulek, 6-4, 6-3. Velcz came right back, defeating No. 48 Braswell, 6-4, 6-3, to give the Bears their first point
of the day. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">On Court Two, 94<sup>th</sup>-ranked Grant was held close by Marko Miladinović, but the Gator pulled away and took a two-set win, 7-6(5), 7-5.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">It looked as if the Gators had a 4-1 win just moments away, but freshman Koenig came back on Court Five to force a third set after sets one and two tabbed at 6-7(4), 7-5.
Koenig’s match went unfinished. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">No. 125 Grassi Mazzuchi defeated Tokac in three sets, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, before Olek Orlikowski clinched the match on six, 4-6, 6-5, 6-4 over Muza.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">QUOTABLE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Head coach Michael Woodson<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">On Sunday’s match…<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">“Today was a real positive step in the right direction. It was a great college match today, credit to Florida for being able to get over the hump there at the end. We did
a really good job of battling back at some positions, giving ourselves a chance and, of course winning a double and two singles courts. Of course, you don’t want to lose, but we are really making positive progress and moving in the right direction. I'm excited
to get back to Waco and get to work with these guys. I think we have a bright future.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">WHAT’S NEXT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The Bears return home to host Abilene Christian and Brown in a doubleheader on Sunday, Feb. 25. The first match begins at noon and will be followed with match No. 2 at 6
p.m.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">- BaylorBears<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color:black;text-decoration:none">.com</span></span><span style="color:black">
-<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">_________________________________________</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#073D1E">Colin Pirtle</span></b><span style="color:#073D1E"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">| Associate Director of Athletics Communications (T&F, XC, MTEN) </span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">C: 940-564-0351</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:3.0pt;color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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