ST. PAUL, Minn. – With conference play ratcheting up over the next two weekends, the University of Northwestern Men's Tennis team picked up a massive non-conference win over a hot Concordia College team. Backs against the wall in their home opener, the Eagles needed to win the final three singles matches to emerge victorious. Their Nos. 4, 5 and 6 players did just that, delivering an electric, 4-3 win.
Northwestern set the tone in doubles play, winning two of the three matches.
Carson Haack (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) and
Sam Majerus (River Falls, Wis./River Falls) were in control of the No. 1 match from start to finish, winning 8-5. The No. 3 team of
Caleb Swigart (Cottage Grove, Minn./Park) and
Caleb Jergenson (Livingston, Mont./Park) won 8-6 to clinch the doubles point, which would prove to be crucial by the end of the night. Doubles matches wrapped up with
Griffen Jarchow (Luverne, Minn./Luverne) and
Isaac Thomforde (Crookston, Minn./Crookston) losing, 5-8, at No. 2.
Singles matches got off to a rough start for UNW, beginning with Majerus losing 4-6, 3-6 in the No. 3 match. After Jarchow suffered a 4-6, 1-6 loss at No. 2 singles and Haack fell 3-6, 6-7 at No. 1, things looked bleak for the purple and gold. That's when the "bottom of the order" rose to the occasion. Swigart began the rally with a 6-4, 6-4 win in the No. 5 spot, then Jergenson battled to a 6-1, 4-6, 13-11 victory in a thrilling No. 6 match. It all came down to No. 4 singles, where Thomforde lost the first set, 1-6. The freshman bounced back to win the second set, 6-3, and the tiebreak, 10-4, giving the Eagles a massive win over the Cobbers.
Northwestern will look to build on Tuesday's momentum with another crucial match at conference rival UW-Superior on Friday at 2:00 PM.
