The Aquinas men's and women's tennis teams both fell to Indiana Tech teams, who were receiving recognition in the top-25 polls, on Saturday (Apr. 2) at the Grand Rapids Racquet and Fitness Center. The men fell to the (RV) Warriors 2-5, while the women were shutout by #18 IIT 0-7. The AQ men are now 8-9 on the season, while the Aquinas women fall to 8-12 on the year.
The men started off the match strong by winning two of the three doubles matches and capturing the doubles point.
Joel Hancox and
Max Goldbeck-Lowe got things started with a 6-2 win in the #1 match to move to 8-4 on the season, including 4-1 in the WHAC.
Simon Uhlen and
Nicholas Klak also move to 4-1 in conference and 8-3 this year after a 7-6 win in the #3 doubles match.
Brandon McEachern and
Josep Coll Llopis took the loss in the competitive #2 match by a score of 4-6.
The Saints only gained one win in the singles matches as
Tom Gangov won a thrilling #2 singles match 6-4, 6-7, 6-3. After only coming to AQ at the beginning of the spring semester, Gangov leads the team with nine singles wins for the whole 2021-22 season for a 9-2 (4-1 WHAC) record.
Hancox (6-2, 4-6, 4-6) and Klak (6-3, 1-6, 1-6) also went to three sets in the #1 and #3 matches, but ultimately fell. Goldbeck-Lowe (1-6, 2-6), Uhlen (1-6, 3-6), and Coll Llopis (6-7, 6-7) all also went down in the #3, #4, and #5 singles matches.
The Warriors handled the AQ women from the beginning by taking the #1 and #3 doubles matches for the doubles point with the #2 match going unfinished.
Sofia Gomez and
Joska Volder suffered a rare loss in the #1 match by a score of 4-6, while
Vanessa Heylmun and
Jenna Hausman were swept in the #3 doubles 0-6.
All six singles matches were won in straight sets by IIT for the 7-0 win. Gomez (#1 - 6-7, 0-6),
Carlota Arzabe (#2 - 2-6, 3-6), Volder (#3 - 6-7, 4-6),
Mimi Pacheco (#4 - 1-6, 1-6), Heylmun (#5 - 1-6, 1-6), and Hausman (#6 - 2-6, 1-6) were not able to get a point for the Saints.
Both teams will play their final home and conference match on the season on Friday (Apr. 8) against Concordia at the Grand Rapids Racquet and Fitness Center.
