UPIKE men’s tennis improved to 2-0 on the season with Saturday’s 8-1 defeat of Shawnee State. The Bears defeated SSU in six singles and two of three doubles, notching 24 aces on the day.
In their first MSC match of the season, UPIKE swept Shawnee in number one through number six doubles. Juan Alzate, Juan Diego Medina, and Fernando Proano would all clean their opponent 4-0 in both sets.
Timur Chsherbakov and Carlos Villamizar went 4-0 and 4-2 to take the number one and two doubles. All six Bears move to 2-0 on the season after also sweeping MVNU on Friday.
Men’s tennis returns to the court on Feb. 21 as they travel to Circleville, Ohio to take on Ohio Christian University.
The women’s tennis program made its 2021 debut this weekend, taking on Mount Vernon Nazarene University on Friday before facing off with Shawnee State in MSC action on Saturday. The Bears defeated MVNU 7-2 in an impressive showing and were edged 5-4 by SSU on Saturday.
The Bears won 10 of 12 sets in the singles portion, starting with Andrea Hurtado who defeated Hannah Fugate of the Cougars 6-1 and 6-2 to earn the first win of the day.
Luisa Castenada, Gabriela Guacanes, Camila Agudelo and Riley Mullins had sweeps of opponents.
On Saturday, UPIKE hit the courts for a test against MSC foe Shawnee State at the EKU Tennis Facility. The Bears put up four singles victories and a doubles victory against the Bears, barely falling short in the 5-4 loss.
Castenada claimed both sets over Claire Carruthers of Shawnee State 4-1 to snag her first ever conference singles victory. Agudelo battled in the number four singles matchup, sending it to a tiebreaker where she fell to Sara Martin. Mullins recorded two 4-0 set wins over her opponent in the singles number 5 for the third victory of the day.
In the doubles event, Castenada and Agudelo improved to 2-0 on the season after defeating Carruthers and Urban 6-4.
UPIKE women’s tennis returns to action on Feb. 21 on the road against Ohio Christian University.