Iowa transfer Nikita Snezhko giving UND a big lift

GRAND FORKS — When the College of Iowa minimize its males’s tennis program final spring, Nikita Snezhko was often known as a doubles specialist.

The Plymouth, Minn., product had a powerful resume there.

As a sophomore, he and his doubles associate turned the primary Hawkeyes in 20 years to qualify for the ITA Fall Nationwide Championships. By the tip of his junior 12 months, Snezhko had compiled a successful file throughout two years at No. 2 doubles for the Huge Ten college.

However he is doing much more than that at UND.

Snezhko, in his first 12 months in Grand Forks after transferring from the now-defunct Iowa program, leads the Combating Hawks in each singles and doubles victories this season.

Snezhko has 13 singles wins — eight on the No. 5 place and 5 at No. 4.

The 6-foot-6 right-hander additionally has 13 doubles victories — all of them at No. 1 with Gerhard Sullwald.

“He is been a rock,” first-year coach Tom Boysen stated. “He is been extraordinarily competent. He is very comfy enjoying his model of sport, whatever the rating and the strain of the scenario. He has the most effective mixed singles and doubles file for us. He is conquered them each.”

Snezhko was anticipated to be a pressure in doubles at UND contemplating his observe file at Iowa. However he is been a pleasing shock in singles, too.

Snezhko is 3-1 in Summit League play, incomes wins in opposition to Omaha, Oral Roberts and Illinois State. His lone convention singles loss to date got here in opposition to nationally ranked and league-leading Denver.

He additionally has victories in opposition to Wisconsin, Marquette and Air Power.

“He is an enormous man with an enormous serve,” Boysen stated. “He creates a bonus instantly together with his serve. What he brings that lots of guys in school do not is an attacking model in return video games. He chips and expenses and involves the online. His wingspan is nice. He does not permit folks to settle in and play their video games very effectively. He is excellent at making folks really feel uncomfortable.

“Whenever you mix that with the truth that he serves so effectively, there is a unconscious feeling on the opposite facet of the online that you have to defend your serve rather well.”

UND closes the common season with a house meet in opposition to Drake at 4 p.m. Saturday, April 16 in Selection Well being and Health. It’s Senior Day for UND’s No. 2 singles participant Edmond Aynedjian.

The Combating Hawks have already secured a spot within the Summit League match semifinals, the place they may once more play Drake at 6 p.m. Friday in Omaha.

The Bulldogs might be favorites in each matchups, however their expertise stage will not be something out of the atypical for Snezhko, who spent the final three years within the Huge Ten.

“The most important factor was the schedule Iowa performed when he was there. . . you performed two stable groups each week,” stated Boysen who got here to UND from Nebraska. “You could not take a match off or be a little bit bit off. The schedule being continuously that good centered you a little bit extra in follow that week.”

Snezhko has used that have to assist the Combating Hawks to a 12-7 mark.

“His work ethic has been excellent,” Boysen stated. “He is been a frontrunner on the group. He just about assaults all the pieces we do the way in which teammate would.”

When: 4 p.m. Saturday.
The place: Selection Well being and Health.
Information: UND 12-7 (3-1 Summit), Drake 10-10 (3-1).
Of word: UND and Drake will meet once more subsequent week within the Summit League match semifinals.