The Bulldogs opened the 2025 campaign with a thrilling 4-3 win over Cleveland State Sunday at the Indianapolis Racquet Club.
 
Butler won the doubles point and held one-set leads in all six singles matches before the visiting Vikings tightened the match.
 
The Bulldogs captured the doubles point behind wins from Riccardo Baldi and Arnesh Singh on the second court and the duo of Patrick Joss and Nicholas Shirley at the No. 3 spot.
 
Joss carried his momentum over to singles as he was the only Bulldog to win in straight sets, taking a 6-4, 6-4 win over Lincoln Battle at No. 1 singles. It looked like several of his teammates would follow suit as the Bulldogs won the first set on all six courts.
 
However, Cleveland State would return the favor, picking up the second set on courts 2 through 6. Carl Gedlitschka (at No. 4) and Devin Boyer (at No. 5) would then close out their matches in three sets for Cleveland State to knot the team score at 2-2.
 
Butler's heroics would come from Nicolas Arts and Rahulniket Konakanchi on courts 2 and 3. Arts was down 4-1 in the deciding third set before storming back to win five straight games and take a 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 win. That put the Bulldogs up 3-2.
 
Konakanchi lost a second-set tiebreaker and then found himself down a break late in the third set. Down 5-4, he was able to break back and force his match against Cole Chappell to a tiebreaker, which Konakanchi won 7-5 for the clinching point.

The win by Butler avenges a 6-1 loss to the Vikings a year ago. Cleveland State is now 0-2 on the young season after losing to Indiana earlier in the weekend.

The Bulldogs return to action next weekend with road matches at Southern Indiana Friday and Toledo Sunday.

Butler 4, Cleveland State 3

Doubles
1) Arts/Konakanchi (BUT) vs. Battle/Boyer (CSU), 5-4, unf.
2) Baldi/Singh (BUT) def. Jamison/Gedlitschka (CSU), 6-3
3) Joss/Shirley (BUT) def. Chappell/Aremon (CSU), 6-3

Singles
1) Patrick Joss (BUT) def. Lincoln Battle (CSU), 6-4, 6-4
2) Nicolas Arts (BUT) def. Nico Jamison (CSU), 6-3, 5-7, 6-4
3) Rahulniket Konakanchi (BUT) def. Cole Chappell (CSU), 6-3, 6-7(1), 7-6(5)
4) Carl Gedlitschka (CSU) def. Riccardo Baldi (BUT), 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
5) Devin Boyer (CSU) def. Nicholas Balthazor (BUT), 1-6, 6-3, 6-3
6) Maxime Aremon (CSU) def. Aidan William (BUT), 5-7, 6-4, 7-5