TIFFIN, Ohio - The men's and women's tennis teams continued their spring break trip with a stop in Tiffin, Ohio to play Tiffin University on Monday night. The women fell to the Dragons, 5-2 while the men fell 6-1.
The women looked to start out strong in doubles play, but Tiffin came out firing on all cylinders and took all three matches. At No. 1 doubles, senior captain Tara Harvey and freshman Nadege Koua lost 6-4, at No. 2, sophomore AlexiAnn Drouin and freshman Keegan Malpass lost 6-2, and finishing the lineup at No. 3 doubles was, seniors Allison Grandfield and Kirsten Malpass, 6-2.
In singles play, the Lakers tried to come back, but came up short. At No. 1 singles, Drouin won 6-3, 6-4, at No. 2 singles, Koua lost in a three-set battle 7-6 (2), 6-7 (6), 7-6 (5), at No. 3 singles, Harvey lost 6-3, 6-3. In the No. 4 singles, Keegan Malpass lost 6-2, 6-2, at No. 5 singles, Kirsten Malpass lost 6-2, 6-3, while Grandfield won 6-4, 6-2 at No. 6 singles.
On the men's side, the Lakers failed to pick up a point on the doubles' side in close doubles matches in all three spots. At No. 1 doubles, freshman Ali Sahibzada and junior Joe Gilman lost 6-3. At No. 2 doubles, sophomore Diego Penz and senior captain Luis Valderrama won 6-3, and at No. 3 doubles, the freshman duo of Harris Irfan ul Haq and Krishan Taneja lost in a close 7-6 (4) match.
At No. 1 singles, Gilman picked up his 20th-career win with a commanding 6-2, 6-4 victory. Sahibzada fell in a three-set match, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-1 at No. 2 singles, at No. 3 singles, Taneja lost 6-2, 6-2, at No. 4 singles, Valderrama fell 6-1, 7-5, at No. 5 singles, Penz lost 6-4, 6-4, and capping off the lineup was Irfan ul Haq at No. 6. He fell 6-3, 7-5.
The Lakers will travel to West Virginia for two matches on Wednesday and Thursday when they compete at Davis and Elkins College and West Virginia Wesleyan. Matches on both days are scheduled for 12 p.m. EST.
The Laker men's and women's tennis teams play their first home matches of the season against Grand Valley State on March 23.
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