May 4, 2006

By: Elin Otter, Metro State Sports Information

Travelling to Topeka, Kan., to play Northwest Missouri State in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Division II Men's Tennis Championship is somewhat a homecoming for junior Drew Machholz.

Born and raised only two hours away in Chillicothe, Mo., Machholz's mother and several friends will make the drive to Washburn University so that they can cheer him and the rest of the Roadrunners on.

Not only will Metro State's No. 3 singles player have friends in the stands, but they will also be on the court. Machholz and the Bearcats' No. 6 singles player, Zach Keith, played together at Chillicothe High School.

"I'm pretty excited," Machholz said. "A bunch of my friends go to Northwest Missouri State so playing them will be fun."

The two teams squared off during Metro State's trip to Kansas in early March and Northwest Missouri State walked away with the win, 5-2. However, Machholz and his doubles partner, Mark Milner, won their match at No. 2 doubles, 8-6, while Machholz's match was suspended at No. 3 singles. This time, Machholz plans on winning both.

"I will just go out and, hopefully, play my game," Machholz said. "I don't want to hit shots that I'm not good at."

Machholz said he is at his best when he converts his first serve and can then serve and volley, moving toward the net to put the ball away for a winner.

"I want to go out and attack and not be on the defense," Machholz said. "I'm going to play aggressive and go after my shots."

Machholz said the mood of the team is good and the players are ready for the rematch. The Roadrunners have played well together lately and everybody pulls their own weight. Metro State is not merely content with the tournament bid and wants to advance past the first round.

"I want us to win," Machholz said. "I really want us to advance at nationals. That's been our goal all year."

How they will go about it is crystal clear to Machholz.

"The strategy is to win the last point," Machholz said with a laugh.

After finishing that task, Machholz is hoping to go out and celebrate with his family and friends over lunch before going back to the hotel to recharge the batteries for Saturday's second-round match.

Metro State, which earned an at-large tournament berth after finishing second in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, plays Northwest Missouri State in the tournament's first round, Friday, May 5 at 9 a.m. Host Washburn later plays Winona State at 1 p.m. The winners of the two matches square off in the second round, Saturday, May 6 at 9 a.m. All three matches are at Washburn University in Topeka, Kan.