Grand Rapids, Mich. – Back-to-back wins usually bring plenty of smiles, but Aquinas men's tennis played through tears and nostalgia in its 4-3 victory over Lourdes on Friday. The emotional afternoon marked the final home match in a 50-year run for Aquinas tennis as a varsity sport — a bittersweet milestone for the program and its supporters.
Aquinas 4, Lourdes 3
The Aquinas men's tennis team secured a tight 4-3 victory over Lourdes University, leaning on a strong singles performance to seal the win. Tom Gangov set the tone at No. 1 singles, defeating Joshua Parish in commanding fashion, 6-2, 6-1. Carlota Arzabe was perfect at No. 4 with a 6-0, 6-0 sweep, and the Saints added crucial singles points from Nicholas Lourido and Dominic Maslanka, who each won by forfeit.
Lourdes responded with victories at No. 2 and No. 3 singles. Luis Guzman outplayed Dominick Marinelli 6-2, 6-2, while Alvaro Trillo-Sanchez topped Josh Chlebek 6-1, 6-1. That left Aquinas with a 4-2 lead heading into doubles, needing just one more point. Lourdes pushed hard in doubles play, taking 7-5 wins at both the No. 1 and No. 2 spots. But the Saints secured the clinching point with a forfeit win at No. 3, where Arzabe and Chlebek were awarded the victory, giving Aquinas the narrow 4-3 team win.
Results
Coach's Comments:
Following the match, Head Coach Kerri Orders reflected on the emotional day:
"Today was a special day for the Aquinas tennis program. Not only did we come away with a solid 4-3 win, but we also had the chance to honor our two incredible seniors, Tom Gangov and Carlota Arzabe. Their leadership, dedication, and competitive spirit have been the heart of this team. I'm proud of how our entire group battled today — this was a full team effort, and a win we'll remember. We are going to continue to practice hard and prepare for our next match against Lawrence Tech on April 17th."
Up Next:
Aquinas will conclude the regular season with a tri-match on Thursday, April 17, taking on Lawrence Tech and UNOH in the final tune-up before the last-ever WHAC Conference Tennis Tournament.
