The men’s tennis team played in two meets last week, falling 4-3 to Belmont on Friday, Feb. 2, and 4-3 to Liberty on Sunday, Feb. 4.
Drew Lahey and Brian Triana highlighted the first meet in Nashville, Tennesee, each winning their singles matches and pairing up to win a doubles match. The Owls started off with a 1-0 overall lead against Belmont by winning the best-of-three doubles matches through the pairings of Corey Smith and Harrison Wood along with Lahey and Triana.
After Belmont won the first three singles matches, the next two were taken by the Owls, and a chance for the season’s first victory was in sight. Despite his efforts, Wood fell in two tough sets, and the Owls fell to 0-2.
“We played a tough and experienced Belmont team,” said director of tennis Eduardo Rincon. “We grinded out the doubles point with clutch play from the twos and threes.”
The Owls traveled back, close to home on Sunday, facing off with Liberty in Peachtree Corners, Georgia.
A back-and-forth affair saw Liberty jump ahead early with two doubles victories. KSU would pick up a win in singles from Lucas De Tores Curth, finishing three sets 3-6, 7-5, 6-1.
After going down two matches to one, the Owls won back-to-back matches by Lahey and Triana and were presented with another opportunity to win. Four of five singles matches went to three sets, displaying the quality on both sides.
This time, Wood took the final match to three sets but was unable grasp victory.
“I am very much encouraged and proud of the team for the way we competed,” Rincon said. “We improved as a team today, and, at the end of the day, that’s what it is all about.”
Next up the Owls travel to Macon, Georgia, to play Mercer on Tuesday, Feb. 6, at 2 p.m.
