Taylor’s men’s and women’s tennis teams have been successful since the program’s rebirth.
After a 1-1 start to the season, the both teams crushed opposing Manchester in stunning 7-0 sweeps on September 16.
The men’s victory was short-lived after dropping their next series 5-2 in a hard matchup against Saint Francis. The women’s side kept the momentum rolling with a 6-1 win over IU Kokomo.
From Sept. 24 to Sept. 27, the Trojans traveled to Indiana Wesleyan University to compete in the ITA Midwest Regional Championships (Intercollegiate Tennis Association).
The ITA is the governing body for collegiate tennis and hosts tournaments for NCAA Division I, II and III athletes as well as NAIA schools and junior colleges. More than 8,000 student-athletes nationwide compete in 80-85 different events in the fall.
Day One:
Freshman Tyler Lane defeated freshman Agustin Siufi from Oakland City University 6-4, 6-7, 10-4 in the opening Round of 64. Lane advanced to the Round of 32 but was eliminated after a loss 6-4, 6-2 to junior Marc Soriano Sanchez of Marian University.
Sophomore Graham Beukelman had a victory on the day, defeating sophomore Braxten Sheets from Grace 8-2 in the consolation bracket.
The Trojans women’s teams found early success as the doubles duo of senior Sarah Scott and sophomore Madison Fuqua defeated a Grace College team 9-7, while the duo of freshman Anna Stone and sophomore Elle Shaufelberger fought to a 9-8 victory over two Huntington Foresters. Evy Danemayer and Kamryn Miller fell to a separate Huntington team 8-0.
In the singles tournament, Scott edged past IWU junior Paige Riegsecker in a tiebreaker set 6-4, 6-7, 11-9. Oakland City sophomore Sweta Rana toppled Shaufelberger 6-3, 6-1, and Fuqua could not overcome sophomore Isabella Aray from Lawrence Tech University, losing 6-2, 6-2.
Day Two:
Freshman Josh Dawson won his match in the Round of 32 for the B bracket.
Taylor had more success in the men’s doubles consolation bracket with two teams reaching the quarterfinals after wins over Marian University and Oakland City University.
Day two’s games would be the last Taylor played after Beukelman and Lane’s 9-8 (7-5) loss against sophomore Bogdan Andrei Precupescu and junior Marc Soriano Sanchez of Marian University and Garrett and Harper’s 8-1 loss against Huntington’s duo of junior Paul Reupke and sophomore Marco Antonio Calil Silveira.
Freshmen Andrew Roth and Joshua Clegg made it to the finals of the Consolation B Doubles bracket.
On the women’s side, Scott was defeated by Spring Arbor senior Moorea McNalley 6-0, 6-0.
Both women’s doubles teams came up short with Scott and Fuqua falling to senior Sofia Munoz and freshman Nicole Puga from Indiana Wesleyan 8-2 and Stone and Shaufelberger bowing out to McNalley a junior Lilah Dean from Spring Arbor 8-1, respectively.
Final:
Junior Mattheus Lima of Indiana Wesleyan University won the men’s singles event 6-2, 6-4. Oakland City University’s junior Jose Perez Perez and sophomore Nelson Ramos took home the top spot in the men’s doubles bracket 6-4, 7-5.
Junior Michelle Irigoyen from Marian University comfortably won the women’s singles tournament in straight sets, 6-0, 6-1. In the women’s doubles tournament, the Marian University team of junior Yasmin Imamniyazova and sophomore Ana Lopez Torres battled to a 4-6, 7-5, 10-4 victory.
The Taylor tennis teams will finish their fall campaign at home on Friday, Oct. 3rd against the Anderson Ravens.
