Depth Makes Difference For Lancers
HUNTINGTON – By virtue of their 6-3 win over Huntington on Tuesday, Grace’s men’s tennis team jumped into a tie for first place in the Crossroads League.
The Lancers (6-1; 6-1 CL) can clinch a share of the regular-season league title with a win over last-place St. Francis at Miller Field on Saturday.
“Today was a really good win against a strong Huntington team. The difference was our depth,” said Grace head coach Larry Schuh. “We have a very deep team with Mike [Humphrey] and Jack [Wang] playing really well together in doubles and in singles. They’ve been a big help for us in conference as they earn wins match in and match out.”
Michael Humphrey and Jack Wang accounted for three wins combined. The duo teamed up for an impressive 8-1 victory at No. 3 doubles before continuing their success in singles play.
Humphrey swept his opponent 6-0, 6-0 at No. 5 singles, and Wang won 6-1, 6-1 at No. 6 singles.
The No. 1 doubles team of Michael Blevins and Nikola Todorovic earned an 8-3 victory over the Foresters (3-6; 3-4 CL) to give Grace an advantage heading into singles competition.
Michael Blevins and Todorovic both had to battle for three sets before finding victory. Blevins dropped the first set 6-7 before rallying for a 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles.
Todorovic went ahead with a first-set 6-4 win at No. 3 singles before Huntington tied it with a 6-1 win. Todorovic clinched his match in the third set with a 6-2 win.
“This has been our best season so far since I’ve been here,” Schuh continued. “The best part about it is this is such a solid group of guys. Year in and year out, the guys compete hard but also pull hard for each other.”
The Lancers are tied with Indiana Wesleyan and Marian for first place in the CL. IWU and Marian conclude the regular season with a dual match on Saturday. If Grace defeats St. Francis in their regular-season finale, the Lancers will hope for a Marian victory, which would give Grace the No. 1 seed in the league tournament.