OWATONNA, Minn. – University of Northwestern Men's Tennis traveled down to the West Hills Tennis & Fitness Center in Owatonna to open their 2023 campaign with a pair of non-conference matches. The Eagles took on Concordia College in the morning before facing University of Dubuque later in the evening. UNW won both matches; earning a 7-2 win over the Cobbers and then a 9-0 sweep over the Spartans.
Match One: Northwestern vs. Concordia
The Eagles started their season-opening match strong with a sweep of the doubles contests.
Griffen Jarchow (Luverne, Minn./Luverne) and
Andy Stevenson (Fridley, Minn./Fridley) won the first point of the year with an 8-0 sweep at #3 doubles.
Stewart Morrell (Elk River, Minn./Homeschool) and
Darin Rupp (Sioux Falls, S.D./Roosevelt) followed with another sweep, winning #2 doubles 8-0.
Jacob Weddle (Rhinelander, Wis./Rhinelander) and
Davis Pfaff (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) wrapped up the doubles sweep for Northwestern with an 8-5 win in the #1 match.
Up 3-0, the Eagles only needed to take two of the six singles matches to clinch the win. Jarchow put Northwestern up 4-0 with a 6-0, 6-1 win at #5 singles. Rupp followed with a 6-3, 6-0 win in the #4 match to clinch the necessary fifth team point for the Eagles, sealing the victory for Northwestern.
With the win in hand, Stevenson added to the Eagles' point total with a 6-1, 6-1 win at #6 singles. Pfaff then won his #3 singles match 6-0, 6-1 to put UNW up 7-0. The Cobbers would win the #1 and #2 singles matches to avoid a sweep, setting the final score at Northwestern 7, Concordia 2.
Match Two: Northwestern vs. Dubuque
After winning their season opener, the Eagles took on the Spartans for their second match of the day. UNW once again started off strong in doubles, winning all three matches. Weddle and Pfaff teamed up to win the #1 match 8-0. Morrell and Rupp followed with an 8-2 win at #2. Jarchow and Stevenson completed the doubles sweep with an 8-3 win in the #3 match.
The Eagles kept up their strong play into the singles contests. Weddle won UNW their fourth point with a 6-1, 6-1 win at #2 singles. Jarchow clinched the fifth team point and win for Northwestern with a 6-0, 6-0 sweep of his #5 singles match.
Win in hand, the Eagles kept on competing. Rupp swept the #4 singles match 6-0, 6-0 to put UNW up 6-0. Morrell followed with a 6-2, 6-4 victory at #1 singles. Pfaff then took the #3 match 6-4, 6-1 for the eighth team point. Stevenson finished the day with a 6-1, 6-1 victory at #6 singles to complete the 9-0 team sweep for Northwestern.
Up Next
Northwestern will head over to Baseline Tennis Center next Saturday, February 11, for a match against Macalester College.
