By: For the first time in nearly 20 years, the Illinois College men’s tennis team has now won more than one Midwest Conference match in a season.
JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – The Illinois College men's tennis team did something on Tuesday night that was two decades in the making. With a 6-3 win over visiting Knox College, the Blueboys won more than one Midwest Conference match for the first time in 20 years, improving to 3-8 (2-3 MWC).
Illinois College took a hugely important 2-1 lead after doubles.
Michael Connolly and reigning MWC Performer of the Week
Miguel Vaca won their match at No. 1, 8-2. Minutes later,
Nazar Otunchiev and
Rolando Salazar won the No. 2 doubles match, 8-4.
T.J. Lawal and
Collin Walter came close, but lost at No. 3, 8-6.
Once in singles, Vaca quickly dispatched Minh Le, 6-0, 6-0, at No. 1. Otunchiev likewise made quick work of Ganexh Uppalapu at No. 3, 6-0, 6-1. The match was sealed when Connolly put the finishing touches on a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Jeffrey Xue at No. 4 singles.
Already with five points in hand, the cherry on top came when Walter won his first career singles match at No. 6, defeating Swarup Behera, 7-6(6), 6-2.
Illinois College will look to build on this momentum when the Blueboys take on Monmouth College tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. in Monmouth, Ill.
