Tennis ends away competition with win

Kelson Warner

(Photo courtesy of Max Zlevor)

Last weekend, the Lawrence University men’s tennis team traveled to Grinnell, Iowa, and Galesburg, Ill., for match-ups against Grinnell College, Wheaton College and Knox College. Grinnell College, ranked 12th in the region, took control of the match with a 9-0 nonconference victory over Lawrence.

Later that day, the men grabbed their racquets and laced up their shoes a second time to challenge Wheaton College. Unfortunately, Wheaton clinched victory with an 8-1 match lead over Lawrence. The lone winner for the Vikings was their top singles player, sophomore Jason Dunn. Dunn defeated Taylor Johnson in a series of three sets, 4-6, 6-2 and 1-0 (10-5). The last set was the period to decide the victor.

The men turned their performance around Sunday with a 6-3 victory over Knox College. In singles competition, Jason Dunn defeated Erik Hane 2-6, 6-1, 6-1. Junior Caleb Ray defeated Shaun Mulani 6-4, 6-3, and freshmen Jeremy Andereck defeated Kenton Tilford 6-1, 6-4. It was 3-3 after the end of the singles competition, but the Vikings dominated the doubles competition, winning all three matches. Jason Dunn and sophomore Max Zlevor won the first match against Erik Hane and Shaun Mulani 8-6. Ray and Andereck controlled the second match versus David Ham and Kenton Tilford ,winning 8-1. Finally, Lawrence’s own Roy Wimer and Bile Ali combined forces in the third match to overcome Knox’s Max Gatyas and Caleb Thompson 8-4.

The Vikings, now 4-11, only have four more matches before the conference tournament. Their next match is April 16 at Carroll University.