Singles success sends Mside to GPAC sweep
SIOUX CITY, IOWA – Beginning a stretch of three duals in six days, Morningside University knocked off Siouxland rival Northwestern College Tuesday, April 5.
SIOUX CITY, IOWA – Beginning a stretch of three duals in six days, Morningside University knocked off Siouxland rival Northwestern College Tuesday, April 5.
Head coach Alex Struck's Mustangs continued to keep pressure on Great Plains Athletic Conference men's tri-leaders Midland University, Concordia University, and Doane University, toppling the Red Raiders 5-2 to improve to 8-5 overall and 2-2 in the league. The women overwhelmed their guests by the same score to increase their season numbers to 8-6 overall and 3-1 in the GPAC, trailing only Midland and Doane, who are unbeaten atop the loop ladder.
The women's tandem of junior Merel Kooij (Rockanje Zuid, Netherlands) and sophomore Olivia Boudreau (Papillion, Neb.) helped fuel a comeback after Northwestern captured the doubles point. Earning a 6-1 win at number three doubles, they kept that momentum with comeback victories in singles. Kooij answered a 7-6 loss in the first set and won 6-2, 6-2 for the triumph at No. 5, and Boudreau, after trading 6-3 sets at No. 4, claimed a nailbiter 7-6 third session. Freshman Emma Dahlhoff (Vermillion, S.D.) and senior Tenly Hansen (York, Neb.) added to the Mustangs' singles avalanche with straight-set wins.
Struck's men's team needed a similar formula to leave their home court Mason Family Tennis Complex, with a "W." After the visitors took the doubles tally, Mside responded with positive outcomes from number two through six singles. Four of the five racket attacks were of the straight-set variety, including the revered perfect victory. Freshman Alex Castillo (Santiago, Chile) recorded the mark at No. 5. Morningside flexed its muscles at nearly every turn in the one-on-ones, as sophomore Winyou Asavaruangchai (Udoni Thai, Thailand) dropped only three games at No. 2, and freshman Danny O'Brien (Longmont, Colo.) had only one game lost at No. 6.
The Mustangs continue action, stepping out of league against Mount Marty University Thursday, April 7. Dual start time is 3 p.m. for the women and 5:30 p.m. for the men on MMU's campus in Yankton, S.D.
