Men’s tennis serves up a new season

By Morgan Tayler

The Lewis & Clark Men’s Tennis team is off to a great start this season, having defeated University of Puget Sound (UPS) in a 9-0 sweep. The team is under the leadership of Keane Hindle ’18, this year’s team captain.

“We played like we should have,” Hindle said. “We were all anxious to get out there and be loud and win some matches.”

The entire team was excited to get on the courts and have a strong performance to start the season. LC had no problem dominating UPS at home, with every match resulting in a win.

On Feb. 10, the Pioneers headed to Walla Walla, Washington to play Trinity University and Redlands College, both of which are nationally ranked within the  top 15. The Trinity match was a close one, and the Pioneers came just short of a victory with a score of 4-5. Later that day, the men played against Redlands. The Pioneers lost the match 8-1. Jackson Powell ’20 won his singles match in just two sets.

In 2016, the men’s tennis team upset a nine year conference championship streak held by Whitman College, and the team hopes to win the conference again. LC will play another rival, George Fox University, on March 16 at the school’s Newberg campus. George Fox is a strong team in the conference, and this year’s rivalry will certainly be amped up for an exciting match.

The next home match is against CalTech on Feb. 17, followed the next day by a match with Willamette University. Will McDermott ’20 is confident that they will defend their home court against Willamette; he even expects a shutout. The CalTech match is expected to be close and exciting to watch. Doubles matches kick off at 11 a.m. with singles to follow.

Things are looking good for the men’s tennis team going forward. First-year players Riley Vickers ’21, Ramez Attia ’21 and Marc Hayashi ’21 are getting along well with the rest of the team and already are settled additions in the program.

Along with the new players, the team has a new addition to their coaching staff. Mico Santiago is fresh off the pro tour and has helped the team tremendously. He has defeated some of the best players in the world, and the team is excited to have him coaching.

Last year, the Pioneers ranked nationally and placed 26 in the division. It is likely that they will be up in the national rankings again this season. LC Men’s Tennis is looking forward to playing another great season.