Storm go 1-2 on trip to Nebraska

FREMONT, Neb. – The Simpson men's tennis team picked up its second win of the season on Saturday, finishing the weekend 1-2.

The Storm (2-7) closed the weekend with a 6-3 win over Midland Lutheran on Saturday afternoon. Simpson lost to Concordia-Nebraska (6-3) on Friday and fell to Doane (9-0) in Saturday's first match.

Simpson got off to a quick start with two doubles wins against the Warriors. Zach Kusick and Peter Reitgraf handled Tyler Sherlock and Nicolas Arguello 8-2 at No. 2 doubles and Nathan Liston and Dylan Hogan took care of James Enzler and Erik Watson 8-3 at No. 3.

The match of the day came at No. 3 singles, as Reitgraf outlasted Enzler in an epic contest that went to tiebreakers in the first two sets and had to be decided in a third-set, super tiebreaker. Enzler won the first set 7-6 (10-12) before Reitrgraf came back to take the second 7-6 (7-2). The super breaker went to Reitgraf as well, 10-5.

Kusick added a 6-2, 6-1 win over Arguello at No. 2, Liston beat Sherlock 6-0, 6-3 at No. 4 and Jeff Hadden shut out Watson 6-0, 6-0 at the six spot.

Doubles play hurt the Storm in Friday's loss to Concordia, as the Bulldogs took all three matches.

Simpson split singles play, as Alex Hook came back to beat Nathan Wingfield 2-6, 6-3, 10-8 at No. 1, Kusick beat Cole Egger in straight sets 6-0, 6-2 at No. 2 and Blake Billings topped Joe Vanderveld 8-3 at No. 6.

Over the last two weeks, Kusick is a combined 7-3 including a 4-1 mark at No. 2 singles.

Simpson is off until March 16 when it goes to Owatonna, Minn. to face Minnesota-Morris and Bethany Lutheran.