DeLand, Fla. ? The Stetson men's tennis team returned to the ITA national rankings at #73 on Tuesday and then improved its record to 11-4 on the season with a 5-2 home victory over Winthrop (4-6) at the Mandy Stoll Tennis Center.  Three Hatters were double winners, including freshman Maksim Levanovich (Minsk, Belarus) who earned the clinching singles and doubles points.

Levanovich and senior Filip Kricka (Umag, Croatia) dropped Roy Sichel and Nadav Ruppin 8-5 at #2 doubles to get Stetson ahead 1-0; they were able to do this because freshman Cesare Gallo (Portogruaro, Italy) and junior Mark Mestan (Cologne, Germany) dominated Arthur Takahashi and Diego Toledo in an 8-0 sweep at the #3 position.

Levanovich, Gallo and Mestan were all winners in singles with Gallo and Mestan posting straight-set victories.  Levanovich clinched the match for the Hatters when he outlasted Ruppin 6-4, 6-7, 6-0 at #3 singles.  Freshman Njal Stene (Oslo, Norway) also earned a singles victory, defeating Toledo in a three-set match at the #4 slot.

Stetson continues its homestand at the Mandy Stoll Tennis Center on Thursday with a rare tripleheader of tennis action on display.  Stetson takes on A-Sun rival Belmont at 12 p.m. followed by the Bruin and Hatter women's teams taking the courts.  The Stetson men return at 7 p.m. to face NCAA Division III foe Roger Williams University.