LINDSBORG/SALINA, Kan. (macbulldogs.com) --- The 21st-ranked McPherson College men's tennis team captured the 2017 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) regular-season title and the top seed in the upcoming KCAC Tournament with a 5-0 win Tuesday night over (RV) Bethany College in a match that was started in at Smoky Valley High School in Lindsborg and finished at Genesis Health Club in Salina due to rain.
The Bulldogs (9-3, 8-0 KCAC) grabbed the first point with an 8-4 win from
Juan Alejandro Jimenez (Pereira, Colombia, Liceotaller San Miguel) and
Timo Hoelzmann (Berlin, Germany, Schadow Gymnasium) over Aaron Moses and Teodor Antelj at third doubles, then surged ahead 2-0 with an 8-6 win at No. 1 by
Joan-Marc Fajula Rodriguez (Catalonia, Spain) and
Hector Carrillo Perales (Barcelona, Spain, Bom Salvador) over Juan Mateus and Alvaro Rengifo.
Ahmed Lahlou (Casablanca, Morocco, Groupe Scolaire Anfa) and
Nicolas Wahl completed the doubles sweep with an 8-5 win over Edward Sengai and Conrad Mascarenhas at No. 2 doubles.
Moving to singles, McPherson took the first set at Nos. 2, 3, 5 and 6 before the court conditions deteriorated to the point that play outdoors proved impossible due to the drizzle and the match venue shifted to Salina.
At that point, it was decided by the coaches that the match would be played to decision once play resumed indoors. Upon the restart of play, Fajula quickly captured the first set at No. 1 singles in a tiebreaker. Carrillo then closed out Moses, 6-4, 6-3, at No. 3 singles and Lahlou posted the match-clinching team point with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Antelj at No. 2 singles.
"I'm very proud of [this team]," said head coach
Dustin Wheeler. "I'm also very fortunate to have a group of young men who have such a strong passion for tennis and the work ethic it takes to be champions. They deserve this and we are very excited and ready for this weekend."
McPherson will face fourth-seeded Southwestern College (12-11, 5-3 KCAC) at 2 p.m. Friday in the semifinal round of the KCAC Tournament at Kossover Tennis Complex in Topeka. The Bulldogs swept the Moundbuilders, 9-0, on April 2 in McPherson.
#21 McPherson College 5, Bethany College 0
Apr 25, 2017 at Lindsborg/Salina, Kan. (Smoky Valley HS/Genesis-Salina)
| Singles competition |
| 1. #28 Juan Mateus (BTHY) vs. #27 Joan-Marc Fajula (MCPH) 6-7 (5-7), 1-3, unfinished |
| 2. #29 Ahmed Lahlou (MCPH) def. Teodor Antelj (BTHY) 6-3, 6-1 |
| 3. #46 Hector Carrillo (MCPH) def. Aaron Moses (BTHY) 6-4, 6-3 |
| 4. Edward Sengai (BTHY) vs. Juan Alejandro Jimenez (MCPH) 5-5, unfinished |
| 5. Alvaro Rengifo (BTHY) vs. Nicolas Wahl (MCPH) 3-6, 3-2, unfinished |
| 6. Conrad Mascarenhas (BTHY) vs. Timo Hoelzmann (MCPH) 4-6, 0-0, unfinished |
| Doubles competition |
| 1. #3 Joan-Marc Fajula/Hector Carrillo (MCPH) def. Juan Mateus/Alvaro Rengifo (BTHY) 8-6 |
| 2. Ahmed Lahlou/Nicolas Wahl (MCPH) def. Edward Sengai/Conrad Mascarenhas (BTHY) 8-5 |
| 3. Timo Hoelzmann/Juan Alejandro Jimenez (MCPH) def. Aaron Moses/Teodor Antelj (BTHY) 8-4 |
| Match Notes |
| McPherson College 9-3, 8-0 KCAC; National ranking #21 |
| Bethany College 12-6, 7-1 KCAC |
| Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (3,2) |
| Match moved to Genesis Health Club-Salina midway through singles play |
