RIVER FOREST, Ill. – The Lakeland University men's tennis team opened its season and fell twice to Chicago area schools, including a 7-0 loss to Concordia University Chicago Friday afternoon.
The Muskies also fell by a 7-0 count to Illinois Institute of Technology Thursday night in their first dual of the season. Both matches came against Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference foes, though Lakeland is not competing for the conference title this year as it plays an abbreviated season.
The Muskies came their closest to a win in the Number 2 singles match against Concordia Chicago (1-9 overall).
Levi Everts (
Sr.-Hartford, Wis.) came back to win the second set before Samuel Smith claimed the tiebreaker for a 6-4, 3-6, 10-6 victory.
Lakeland won at least two games in two of the other three contested singles matches, including
Rob Grimes (
Sr.-Plymouth, Wis.) taking four games in a 6-3, 6-1 loss to Diego Loveshe at No. 4 singles.
Evan Vorpahl (
Sr.-Sheboygan, Wis.) also fell to Nathan Stringer 6-0, 6-2 at No. 1 singles.
Everts and Vorpahl also were defeated by Collin Dickey and Reynaldo Leal 6-2 at No. 1 doubles, and Kevin Bullens and Kyle Pelzek topped Grimes and
Daniel Siebert (
Sr.-Mount Pulaski, Ill.) 6-1 at No. 2 doubles.
The Muskies had a tougher time on Friday against Illinois Tech, one of the top teams in the NACC. Everts and
Ben Busalacchi (
Sr.-Muskego, Wis.) were the lone Lakeland players to win a game, with Everts falling 6-0, 6-1 at No. 2 singles to Alexander Feher and Busalacchi losing by the same score at No. 3 singles against Pol Dueso Guell.
