Storm men drop pair of matches in Minnesota

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - The Simpson College men's tennis team dropped a pair of matches to St. Scholastica and Northwestern (Minn.) on Saturday.

The Storm (1-6) began the afternoon taking on St. Scholastica and got off to a good start, winning two of three doubles matches. Ethan Humble and Drake Downard claimed a win at No. 3 doubles by a score of 8-3. The Saints (5-4) secured a win at No. 1 doubles, but the Storm rebounded at No. 2 doubles, with the duo of Caleb Vasconez and Aaron Price winning in a tiebreak, 8-7 (7-5). However, the Saints swept the singles matches to win the match by a score of 7-2, despite Downard taking the second set of his match at No. 6 singles.

Downard continued his fine form, leading the Storm against the Eagles (4-2) of Northwestern in the night cap. Downard again combined with his partner Humble at No. 3 doubles for an 8-2 win. Then, Downard claimed the other point for the Storm in singles as well, defeating the Eagles' Andy Stevenson by a score of 6-1, 2-6, 10-8. Grant Love won the second set of his match at No. 5 singles, but dropped a close supertiebreaker to fall in three sets. The Eagles held off the Storm in the remaining singles matches to earn the win.

The Storm resume action with another trip up north against Wisconsin Lutheran next Friday in Jackson, Wis.

St. Scholastica 7, Simpson 2

Doubles
1. Jonas Abelada/Eamon Gerrard-Stace (SSU) def. Javier Robles Solis/Grant Love (SIM) 8-4
2. Caleb Vasconez/Aaron Price (SIM) def. Alex Daigneualt/Jack Onkka (SSU) 8-7 (7-5)
3. Drake Downard/Ethan Humble (SIM) def. Reece Patten/Jace Westerbur (SSU) 8-3

Singles
1. Abelada (SSU) def. Vasconez (SIM) 6-1, 6-0
2. Julius Tabrizi (SSU) def. Robles Solis (SIM) 6-4, 6-0
3. Carter Anderson (SSU) def. Price (SIM) 6-2, 6-3
4. Riley Versich (SSU) def. Humble (SIM) 6-2, 6-3
5. Andy Shaffer (SSU) def. Love (SIM) 6-2, 6-4
6. Harper Dircks (SSU) def. Downard (SIM) 6-2, 4-6, 10-7

Northwestern (Minn.) 7, Simpson 2

Doubles
1. Davis Pfaff/Jack Guerkink (UNW) def. Javier Robles Solis/Grant Love (SIM) 8-1
2. Stewart Morrell/Jacob Weddle (UNW) def. Caleb Vasconez/Aaron Price (SIM) 8-3
3. Ethan Humble/Drake Downard (SIM) def. Andy Stevenson/Collin Hemann (UNW) 8-2

Singles
1. Morrell (UNW) def. Vasconez (SIM) 6-1, 6-2
2. Weddle (UNW) def. Robles Solis (SIM) 6-2, 6-0
3. Pfaff (UNW) def. Price (SIM) 6-2, 6-0
4. Griffin Jarchow (UNW) def. Humble (SIM) 6-1, 7-5
5. Darin Rupp (UNW) def. Love (SIM) 6-4, 2-6, 10-8
6. Downard (SIM) def. Stevenson (UNW) 6-1, 2-6, 10-8