DES MOINES, Iowa – Earlier this season, after its first big upset victory against No. 23 Minnesota, head coach Danny Westerman said that the Wisconsin men's tennis team manages to find a way to win, no matter the circumstances. 

Today, on the road against yet another highly-ranked competitor, was no different. 

The Badgers (11-1) won their fifth-straight match and collected their third win against a ranked opponent on Sunday afternoon, defeating No. 36 Drake, 4-3, and improving to a perfect 3-0 away from home. 

At 11-1, Wisconsin is out to its best start since 1973, when the Badgers opened with a mark of 12-1. It doesn't appear that this year's team has plans to slow down any time soon.

"What a tough, hard-earned win for our team," Westerman said. "We have been talking about getting tougher with every match this season, and we put together a complete effort all the way down the lineup today."

The match started off a bit shaky, as Drake got a leg up on UW after claiming the doubles point, taking wins at the No. 1 and 3 spots. 

In singles play, however, Wisconsin found its legs. One day after winning the match-clincher against Brown, freshman Osgar O'Hoisin tallied the Badgers' first win of the day. O'Hoisin tied the match up after a 6-3, 6-4 win over Calum MacGeoch at the No. 4 position. Sophomore Chema Carranza also won for the second time on the weekend, putting the Badgers ahead 2-1 after defeating Ben Stride, 7-5, 6-3, at the No. 5 spot. 

Sophomore Lamar Remy increased the Badger lead by two by dispatching Drake's Bayo Philips, 6-4, 7-6 at No. 3. 

Drake then pulled within one of Wisconsin, after Ben Clark defeated UW's John Zordani at No. 6 in three sets, 0-6, 7-5, 6-3. 

With Wisconsin holding a narrow 3-2 lead, the match came down to the No. 1 and 2 slots. Both matches were in the third set, with sophomore Josef Dodridge and senior Alexander Kokorev maintaining tight leads in their respective matches. 

Dodridge, who battled back from a first-set loss, fought back to win 4-6, 7-6, 6-3 and clinch the overall match for Wisconsin. Dodridge, who boasts a singles record of 9-2 this spring, has now tallied wins at the No. 1 spot in each of UW's three ranked wins this year. 

"It's very hard to beat good teams on the road," said Westerman. "But the boys absolutely deserved it today."

The Badgers return home and to Big Ten play next week as they host No. 47 Iowa at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium on March 25. Match time is set for 6 p.m. (CT) and admission is free to the public. 

Results - March 13 
Wisconsin 4, Drake 3

MEN'S SINGLES
1.    Josef Dodridge (UW) def. Ben Lott (DRAKE), 4-6, 7-6, 6-3
2.    Vinny Gillespie (DRAKE) def. Alexander Kokorev (UW), 6-7, 7-6, 3-3 retired
3.    Lamar Remy (UW) def. Bayo Philips (DRAKE), 6-4, 7-6
4.    Osgar O'Hoisin (UW) def. Calum MacGeoch (DRAKE), 6-3, 6-4
5.    Chema Carranza (UW) def. Ben Stride (DRAKE), 7-5, 6-3
6.    Ben Clark (DRAKE) def. John Zordani (UW), 0-6, 6-4, 7-6

MEN'S DOUBLES
1.    Wood/Lott (DRAKE) def. Dodrige/Remy (UW), 6-3
2.    Carranza/Jalalov (UW) vs. Gillespie/MacGeoch (DRAKE), unfinished
3.    Philips/Stride (DRAKE) def. Zordani/O'Hoisin (UW), 6-2

Order of finish: Doubles (3, 1); Singles (4, 5, 3, 6, 1, 2)