The men’s tennis team continued to dominate through the end of non-conference season with a pair of wins over Western Illinois and Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) on Feb. 13 and 14.
SLU started out strong in the doubles competition, only dropping two games in the three matches to earn the doubles point.
Even more impressively in singles, SLU’s number four, five and six singles’ players didn’t drop a single game in all six sets. The top three singles players only gave Western Illinois five games total, easily taking the win, 7-0.
The team of sophomores David Ferragut and Charlie Parry took their doubles match, 6-0. Sophomore Brandon Harris and junior Paarth Dodhiawala also won their number three doubles match, 6-0.
Parry swept through his number four singles match, 6-0, 6-0. Harris followed suit at the fifth spot, refusing to let his opponent steal any games from him.
SLU faced a tougher opponent in IUPUI on Sunday. Although SLU won the number one singles match, they were unable to succeed at the latter two doubles matches. IUPUI took the doubles point going into singles play.
Parry had no trouble at the number four singles spot, as he won in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3. Dodhiawala sailed through his match as well at the number six spot, 6-1, 6-1.
SLU needed just two more wins to pull off the comeback. Ferragut lost the first set at number one singles, 6-2, but he stormed through the second set, 6-0, to take things to a third set. He swung with the momentum to win the last set and the match, 6-2.
Fellow sophomore Juan Calero continued Ferragut’s success at the number two singles place. He lost a tight first set, 6-7, but came back to crush the second set, 6-1. Calero stayed on top in the final set to take the individual and team victory, 6-1.
The women added to their winning streak on Feb. 17 when they took down Arkansas State, 7-0.
Although they did lose at number three doubles, the two other doubles wins were enough to give SLU the doubles point.
The Bills finished strong in singles, taking every match. Seniors Madison Cook and Kelsey King only dropped one game each.
The men sit at 8-1 on the year and in non-conference. They have a break until Feb. 27 when they take on Dayton and conference play at Sunset Tennis Center in Dayton, Ohio at 2:15 p.m.
After four consecutive wins, the women now hold a 9-3 record. They face UMSL on Feb. 18 at 1:45 p.m. at St. Clair Tennis Club in O’Fallon, Illinois, and Missouri State on Feb. 26 at 1:00 p.m. in Springfield, Missouri.
They begin conference competition on Feb. 27 when they face off with Dayton at St. Clair Tennis Club with a first serve at 3:15 p.m.
