The No. 37 Michigan men's tennis team had the competitive spirit.

But that's just wasn't enough against a team like No. 3 Ohio State, that has only one loss on the year.

The Wolverines squared off against the Buckeyes on Saturday in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament but fell short in a 4-1 decision.

"In my opinion, (Ohio State is) the best team in the country," Michigan coach Bruce Berque said.

After dropping the all-important doubles point, Michigan (13-14) appeared to take a carefree approach into the singles matches, and it cost them dearly.

The Wolverines lost the first set in five of their six singles matches, with junior George Navas gaining the team's only first-set win.

The Tampa, Fla. native rebounded from a defeat in singles play yesterday against Northwestern, winning in straight sets (6-2, 6-4) against No. 70 Balazas Novak. It was Navas's second win against a nationally-ranked player in his career.

"I attacked him some and brought him to the net because he's uncomfortable playing offense," Navas said. "I then attacked him on my serve which helped me today."

Navas's ability to play at the net forced Novak to hit the ball down the lines and throw drop shots that often missed their mark.

But while Michigan is disappointed about its loss today, Berque cannot help but show a little happiness following his team's play the last few weeks.

The team has lost only two of its last nine matches, both losses to Ohio State (30-1). It has received top performances from every position in the singles lineup, and it has a renewed sense of confidence that wasn't there earlier in the season.

With the win yesterday against Northwestern, Berque believes his team "cemented" its NCAA Tournament bid.

"I can't see a way why we wouldn't be in," Berque said. "But it was close for a while. Before the Illinois and Indiana weekend (on April 18th and 19th), we were clearly on the outside looking in."

The Wolverines will find out if their NCAA Tournament wish is granted Tuesday at 5:20 p.m on ESPNews.