ORLANDO, Fla. – University of Northwestern Men's Tennis battled Ursinus College and Saint Vincent College on Thursday for their final two matches in Florida this spring. In the morning, the Eagles narrowly fell in a 5-4 loss to the undefeated Bears in which six of the nine matches were decided by tiebreakers. UNW then returned to the court in the evening to take down the Bearcats in an 8-1 final.
Match One: Ursinus College Bears
The Eagles opened their morning match with Ursinus, who is undefeated this season through seven matches, by taking two of the three doubles matches.
Davis Pfaff (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) and
Jack Geurkink (Hudson, Wis./Hudson) took the #1 doubles match 8-4 for Northwestern. The Bears won the #2 doubles match in an 8-7 (7-5) tiebreak finish, but the Eagles duo of
Griffen Jarchow (Luverne, Minn./Luverne) and
Darin Rupp (Sioux Falls, S.D./Roosevelt) won their own tiebreak match at #3 doubles in an 8-7 (9-7) final to head into singles with a 2-1 lead.
In singles, Ursinus took four of the six matches to rally and take a 5-4 win over Northwestern. The Eagles won #2 singles as
Jacob Weddle (Rhinelander, Wis./Rhinelander) battled to a 6-4, 3-6, (10-3) tiebreak victory. Jarchow won his #5 singles match in a tiebreak as well, winning 6-0, 4-6, (10-8). Two of the four singles wins for the Ursinus ended in tiebreakers as the Bears rallied to take #1 singles 4-6, 7-5, (10-2) and took #3 singles 6-2, 3-6, (10-7).
Match Two: Saint Vincent College Bearcats
In the evening, the Eagles returned to the court to battle the Bearcats. Northwestern leaped out to a 3-0 lead with a sweep of the doubles matches.
Stewart Morrell (Elk River, Minn./Homeschool) and Geurkink swept the #1 match 8-0.
Collin Hemann (Newton, Iowa/Newton) and Rupp likewise swept their doubles match, winning the #3 contest 8-0.
Andy Stevenson (Fridley, Minn./Fridley) and Weddle wrapped up the doubles team sweep for UNW with an 8-2 victory in the #2 match.
Needing two singles wins to clinch the match, the Eagles got the first at the #1 match as Morrel cruised to a 6-0, 6-1 win. Geurkink secured the team win for UNW with a 6-0, 6-1 win at #3 singles to pick up the fifth point.
Match in hand, the Eagles kept on competing.
Davis Pfaff (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) won his #2 singles match 6-2, 6-1. Hemann followed with a 6-2, 6-2 win at #5 singles. The Bearcats took the #4 singles match in a 4-6, 0-6, (10-6) tiebreak win, but
Ben Schutz (Maplewood, Minn./Homeschool) earned the eighth team point for UNW with a 6-3, 5-7, (10-7) win at #6 singles.
Up next
Northwestern will fly home from Florida this weekend and compete in two matches next Saturday, March 18 in Owatonna at the West Hills Tennis & Fitness Center; first against Wartburg College at 9:30am and then against Morningside University at 5:00pm.
