NAPERVILLE — The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) men’s tennis slate produced a full weekend of non-conference action, highlighted by multiple 7-0 results, several 4-3 decisions and a milestone first win for a new league head coach. CCIW teams faced a mix of regional opponents and nationally ranked competition as the spring schedule continued to take shape.
 
Firebirds Stay Perfect with Doubleheader Sweep in Minnesota
Carthage extended its unbeaten start to the spring to 4-0 after sweeping a Saturday doubleheader in Owatonna, Minn.
 
In the opener, the Firebirds earned a 5-2 win over Carleton despite dropping the doubles point. Carthage stayed within reach behind a 6-2 win from Luca Okino and Victor Pimenta at No. 2 doubles, then clinched the match with five straight singles victories from Francisco Silveira (No. 1, 7-6, 6-4), Finn Morris (No. 3, 6-4, 5-7, 10-3), Cyriac Cayuela (No. 4, 7-5, 7-6), Linus Bangert (No. 5, 6-2, 6-3) and Pimenta (No. 6, 6-1, 6-2).
 
Carthage closed the day with a 7-0 shutout of St. Olaf, sweeping doubles behind Morris and Diego Silva (No. 1, 6-1), Pimenta and Okino (No. 2, 6-3), and Bangert and Ethan Foucheaux (No. 3, 6-2). In singles, straight-set wins from Okino (No. 3, 6-0, 6-2), Pimenta (No. 5, 6-1, 6-0), Morris (No. 2, 6-2, 6-2) and Foucheaux (No. 6, 6-0, 6-2) paced the sweep, with Silveira (No. 1) and Cayuela (No. 4) also posting victories. Following the weekend, Pimenta was selected as the CCIW Student-Athlete of the Week on Tuesday.
 
Leto Logs First Win as Cardinals Split Opening Weekend
North Central opened its 2026 dual schedule with a split weekend.
 
On Saturday, the Cardinals dropped a 7-0 decision to No. 2 Chicago. North Central’s No. 1 doubles team of junior Rafael Lessa and sophomore Philipp Wottgen earned a 6-4 win, while sophomore Jack Briggs and junior David Vilarroig Martinez rallied from 5-0 down to force a tiebreaker at No. 3 doubles before falling 7-1. In singles, junior Andres Valverde Gonzalez won the first set 6-2 before falling in a match tiebreaker.
 
North Central rebounded Sunday with a 5-2 win over Lake Forest, marking the first coaching victory for interim head coach Joey Leto. After Lake Forest took the doubles point, the Cardinals won five singles matches behind junior Henry Ros (No. 2, 6-0, 6-1), Lessa (No. 3), senior Ignacio Hernandez Ruiz (No. 4), Valverde Gonzalez (No. 5, 7-6, 6-2) and Briggs (No. 6, 7-6, 7-5).
 
Newcomers Set the Tone as Millikin Edges Greenville, 4-3
Millikin opened its spring slate Friday with a 4-3 win over Greenville in Bloomington, Ill.
 
The Big Blue swept doubles as freshmen Gillian Nahum and Jorge Aura won 6-4 at No. 1, freshmen Harry Masterman and Eduardo Vargas won 6-4 at No. 2, and junior Matthew Kordesh and freshman Thomas Tartari won 6-3 at No. 3. In singles, Nahum earned a 6-3, 6-4 win at No. 2 and Vargas added a 6-2, 6-4 decision at No. 4 before Masterman secured the deciding point at No. 6 in three sets.
 
Hartman’s Tiebreak Highlights Wheaton’s Warhawk Weekend
Wheaton went 0-3 at the Warhawk Invite hosted by Wisconsin-Whitewater.
 
On Friday, the Thunder fell 4-3 to No. 35 UW-Whitewater after the Warhawks swept doubles. Wheaton’s points came in singles from junior Andrew Winters (No. 3), junior Ryder Ward (No. 5) and freshman Joshua Hartman (No. 6), with Hartman closing his win with a 12-10 tiebreaker in the second set.
 
On Saturday, Wheaton dropped 7-0 decisions to Grinnell and Luther in Lake Geneva. Against Grinnell, Hartman and Ward teamed for a 6-4 win at No. 3 doubles, while Ward and sophomore David Hill each pushed singles matches to third-set tiebreakers. Versus Luther, junior Andrew Jang (No. 2) and Winters (No. 3) each won a set before both matches were decided in tiebreakers.
 
Titans Open With 7-0 Sweep in Lockport
Illinois Wesleyan opened its spring season with a 7-0 sweep of St. Francis in Lockport, Ill.
In doubles, seniors Ian Turnbull and Ben Vigneri won 6-0 at No. 1 and junior Thad Dillow and senior Griffin Hammond won 6-0 at No. 2, while junior Chase Tomecki and freshman Will Ehrlich received a default win at No. 3. In singles, Turnbull (No. 1, 6-2, 6-2), Vigneri (No. 2, 6-1, 6-1), Dillow (No. 3, 6-2, 6-1), Hammond (No. 4, 6-0, 6-1) and Ehrlich (No. 5, 6-0, 6-0) won in straight sets, while freshman Truman Raher received a default win at No. 6.
 
Carroll Comes Up One Point Short in Minnesota
Carroll traveled to Owatonna, Minn., for duals against Carleton and St. Olaf.
 
The Pioneers fell 7-0 to Carleton on Saturday, with senior Andrew LaBelle dropping a third-set super-tiebreak at No. 1 singles (10-8) and senior David Eman falling in a third-set tiebreak at No. 5 (11-9). On Sunday, Carroll narrowly lost 4-3 to St. Olaf after winning the doubles point behind freshman Ulrik Gellein and senior Ryan LaBelle (No. 1, 6-3) and seniors Felix Persson and Layton Carls (No. 3, 6-4). In singles, Persson won 6-1, 6-3 at No. 4 and freshman Nate Christensen won 6-4, 6-0 at No. 6, while Gellein fell in a deciding three-set match at No. 2 (7-5, 5-7, 6-10).
 
Next Up
CCIW teams continue non-conference play this weekend. On Saturday, Augustana hosts Chicago, while Illinois Wesleyan is scheduled to host Franklin and Webster. Carroll travels to De Pere, Wis., for duals against Hamline and St. Norbert, and Millikin heads to Mount Vernon, Iowa, to face Simpson and Cornell. 
 
North Central and Wheaton return to action Feb. 21.