NAPERVILLE — College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) men’s tennis was active last weekend, as conference teams logged a full slate of non-conference matches that included triangular competition, multiple road duals in Indiana and Michigan and continued early-season success for several programs.
 
Titans Turning Back the Clock to 2010
Illinois Wesleyan posted its best start in 15 years, improving to 5-0 for the first time since the 2010-11 season. The milestone was secured last Saturday as the Titans earned two 6-1 victories in a triangular meet in Galesburg, Ill.
 
In the opening match against Monmouth, IWU swept all three doubles flights with 6-1 scores. Senior Ben Vigneri and senior Ian Turnbull won at No. 1, while junior Thad Dillow and senior Griffin Hammond took the No. 2 position. Junior Chase Tomecki and freshman Will Ehrlich completed the sweep at No. 3. In singles play, Vigneri (6-0, 6-1), Dillow (6-0, 6-3), Hammond (6-1, 6-0), and Ehrlich (6-1, 6-1) earned victories. Freshman Truman Raher also won at No. 5 (6-1, 6-1) to remain unbeaten in singles play this season.
 
The Titans followed with another 6-1 win against Principia. IWU again swept doubles, highlighted by a 6-0 win from Ehrlich and Raher at No. 3. Turnbull and Vigneri posted a 6-2 decision at No. 1, and Dillow and Hammond finished the doubles sweep with a 7-6 (5) win at No. 2. In singles, Ehrlich and Raher recorded 6-0, 6-0 wins at No. 5 and No. 6, respectively, while Hammond won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 4. Turnbull added a 6-3, 6-4 victory at No. 1 singles. Following the weekend, Ian Turnbull was named the CCIW Student-Athlete of the Week on Tuesday
 
Big Blue Brings the Broom to Bloomington
Millikin extended its winning streak to four matches last Sunday with a 7-0 victory against Franklin in Bloomington, Ill. The Big Blue improved to 4-1 overall and opened the match with a doubles sweep.
 
At No. 1 doubles, Jorge Aura and Gillian Nahum defeated Clark Hersam and Jaden Wells, 6-1. Harry Masterman and Eduardo Vargas won 7-5 at No. 2 over Marcus Cox and Shay Kyser, while Nils Fischer and Matthew Kordesh completed doubles play with a 6-1 win at No. 3 against Brendan Hanner and Luke Morris.
 
Millikin also went unbeaten in singles. Junior Matthew Kordesh opened at No. 1 with 6-1, 6-1 set wins over Hersam. Freshman Gillian Nahum earned a 6-2, 6-0 decision at No. 2 against Cox, and freshman Eduardo Vargas won 6-4, 6-1 at No. 3 over Wells. Freshman Harry Masterman added 6-2, 6-2 wins at No. 4 against Raymond Richard. Freshman Jorge Aura won 6-1, 6-1 at No. 5, and freshman Nils Fischer closed the sweep with a 6-2, 6-1 victory at No. 6.
 
Cardinals Log Frequent Flyer Miles in Indiana and Michigan
North Central played three road matches last weekend, opening the trip with a pair of duals Saturday in Greencastle, Ind.
 
In the morning session, the Cardinals dropped a 4-3 decision to Wabash in a match that included four singles tiebreakers. Sophomore Philipp Wottgen, competing at No. 1 singles, earned his first win in that role this season with a 2-6, 6-1, 10-3 decision over Cole Shifferly. Sophomore Jack Briggs also won in three sets at No. 6, recovering from a 6-2 first-set loss to win 6-1 and 10-7. Junior Andres Valverde Gonzalez supplied the third point with a 6-4, 6-4 win at No. 4. Wabash clinched the match at No. 5 singles, where Edmon Neto defeated senior Ignacio Hernandez Ruiz, 5-7, 6-3, 10-8.
 
Later Saturday, North Central faced DePauw, a team receiving votes in the ITA poll, and fell 6-1. The Cardinals’ point came from Valverde Gonzalez, who recorded his second singles win of the day with a 7-6, 6-2 result. In doubles, the No. 2 team of Henry Ros and Valverde Gonzalez finished the day 2-0, adding a 6-4 win over DePauw.
 
North Central continued the trip Sunday with a 5-2 loss at Kalamazoo. The Cardinals claimed their first doubles point of the dual season, with Ros and Valverde Gonzalez earning a 6-2 win at No. 2 doubles to improve to 3-0 as a pair in duals. Briggs and senior Matt Crossland clinched the doubles point with a 7-5 win at No. 3. In singles, Wottgen won 6-4, 6-3 at No. 1 to finish the weekend 2-1 in singles play.
 
Close Encounters of the Non-Conference Kind
Other CCIW programs were also in non-conference action during the weekend.
 
Carthage hosted DePauw last Friday in Racine, Wis., and fell 4-3. The Firebirds (5-2) dropped the doubles point but received singles wins from sophomore Finn Morris at No. 3 (3-6, 7-6 (2), 10-1), junior Cyriac Cayuela at No. 4 (0-6, 7-6 (4), 10-6), and senior Luca Okino at No. 5 (7-6 (5), 5-7, 10-6). DePauw clinched the match at No. 6 singles, where William Cramer defeated junior Victor Pimenta, 3-6, 6-3, 11-9.
 
Carroll also competed last Friday, falling 6-1 to Illinois Tech in New Berlin, Wis. Senior David Eman produced the Pioneers’ point at No. 5 singles, defeating Hozumi Tada, 6-4, 1-6, 10-5. In doubles, senior Andrew LaBelle and Eman earned a 7-5 win at No. 2.
 
Wheaton opened its home schedule last Saturday at the Centre Court Athletic Club and dropped a 5-2 decision to Concordia Wisconsin. Junior Ryder Ward went 2-0 on the day, pairing with freshman Joshua Hartman for a 6-2 win at No. 3 doubles and adding a 7-5, 6-3 victory at No. 5 singles. Sophomore David Hill recorded the other Wheaton point with a 7-5, 6-0 win at No. 4 singles.
 
Clear Skies and Hard Courts Ahead
CCIW teams continue non-conference play during the final weekend of February and into early March.
 
On Friday, North Central will travel to face No. 38 Wisconsin-Whitewater at 6 p.m., and Carthage will visit Lake Forest at 7:45 p.m.
 
Saturday features a full slate of matches beginning with Illinois Wesleyan hosting Olivet Nazarene at 10:15 a.m. North Central will play a split doubleheader, hosting Grinnell at 12:30 p.m. in Hanover Park before traveling to face Illinois Tech at 7:30 p.m. Additional Saturday matches include Wheaton at St. Francis (Ill.) at 4 p.m. and Illinois Wesleyan hosting Greenville at 4:30 p.m.
 
On Sunday, Elmhurst will host St. Mary’s (Minn.) at 11 a.m.