Simpson drops decisions to Buena Vista, Morningside

STORM LAKE, Iowa - Noah Saunders won both singles matches and one of two doubles matches on Saturday but the Simpson men's tennis team dropped a pair of close contests against Buena Vista and Morningside.

After beginning the weekend with a 9-0 win over North Central (Minn.) on Friday, the Storm (3-13, 0-2 Iowa Conference) traveled to Storm Lake for a pair of contests on Saturday. The day started with a narrow 5-4 loss against Iowa Conference foe Buena Vista before a 6-3 loss to NAIA Morningside.

Saunders reached double-digit wins Saturday, joining teammate Adam Summitt. Competing at No. 3 singles, Saunders beat Buena Vista's Jason Ehrhardt 7-5, 6-3 and Morningside's Dane Larson 6-3, 6-1. He teamed up with Daniel Schneider for an 8-4 win against Morningside at No. 2 doubles.

Simpson started off strong against the Beavers, winning 2 of 3 doubles matches. Alex Hook and Adam Summitt defeated Mike Sporer and Jason Ehrhardt 8-2 at the No. 1 spot and Lucas Haack and Dylan Hogan topped Ben Stone and Dillon Nevius 8-4 at No. 3.

But Hook and Saunders picked up Simpson's only wins in singles competition. Hook beat Remy Nshuti 6-2, 6-1 at No. 1, and Summitt dropped a three-set heartbreaker to Sporer, 6-4, 5-7, 10-8.

Saunders and Schneider produced the team's only doubles win against Morningside, while Saunders and Summitt added wins in the singles competition.

Next up for Simpson is a non-conference clash with Graceland in Lamoni, Iowa at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.