ITHACA, N.Y. — Junior David Volfson and sophomore Pietro Rimondini each won singles matches, but the men's tennis team was dealt a 4-2 loss by 17th-ranked Oklahoma on Saturday afternoon at Reis Tennis Center.
 
In its last non-conference match and arguably its biggest to date, 41st-ranked Cornell (7-7) was making a bid to repeat history with an upset of Oklahoma (15-2) like it had in March last year. But the Sooners won the doubles point and won a pair of singles matches in straight sets to take control.
 
Sliding down to No. 2 in the singles order for just the second time this year, Volfson delivered with a 6-3, 6-3 victory to give him six straight victories. Rimondini bounced back from a first-set loss at No. 5 to force a third set, which he won comfortably for the Big Red's second point. Oklahoma then clinched with a three-set win at No. 3.
 
The Big Red will now turn its attention to trying to repeat as Ivy League champions, after it shared the title with Harvard and Columbia last year. Cornell starts off on the road at 2 p.m. Friday, when it visits Princeton.
 
#17 OKLAHOMA 4, #41 CORNELL 2
At Reis Tennis Center; Ithaca, N.Y.
Singles
1. #73 Aleksandre Bakshi (O) def. Alafia Ayeni, 7-6, 6-3
2. David Volfson (C) def. Adrian Oetzbach, 6-3, 6-3
3. #106 Jake Van Emburgh (O) def. Lev Kazakov, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
4. #62 Ferran Calvo (O) def. Daniel Grunberger, 7-5, 6-1
5. Pietro Rimondini (C) def. Stefano Tsorotiotis, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
6. Jake Hansen (C) vs. Max Stewart, DNF
Doubles
1. Bakshi/Van Emburgh (O) def. Ayeni/Kazakov, 6-2
2. Calvo/Oetzbach (O) def. Joseph McAllister/Volfson, 6-4
3. Grunberger/Hansen (C) vs. James Davis/Stewart, DNF
Records: Cornell 7-7, Oklahoma 15-2