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Spires Men's Tennis Clinches Thrilling 4-3 Road Victory Over Kansas Wesleyan
Posted: Apr 06, 2025

Spires Men's Tennis Clinches Thrilling 4-3 Road Victory Over Kansas Wesleyan

Box Score
Team Stats
Doubles
  • Luke Craft / Adam Hanson def. Evan Maritz / Nils Dueppe 6-3
  • Jacob Phelps / Paul Jittawait def. Carlos Grimaldi / Nudem Koyuncu 6-3
  • Austin Harden / Raul Davalos-Gavino def. Jack Contrucci / Leyton Ross 6-3
Singles
  • Raul Davalos-Gavino def. Carlos Grimaldi 6-3, 6-4, 0-0
  • Nils Dueppe def. Adam Hanson 6-4, 6-2, 0-0
  • Evan Maritz def. Jacob Phelps 6-3, 6-2, 0-0
  • Nudem Koyuncu def. Luke Craft 6-1, 7-6, 7-4
  • Jack Contrucci def. Paul Jittawait 6-1, 3-6, 6-1
  • Jack Hanson def. Leyton Ross 6-2, 6-1, 0-0

LEAVENWORTH, KAN. - The University of Saint Mary men's tennis team fought their way to a dramatic 4-3 road victory over Kansas Wesleyan University in a nail-biting contest. After falling behind early, the Spires demonstrated incredible grit and determination to secure the narrow win, improving their overall record to 7-6.

The match began with doubles play, where Kansas Wesleyan took an initial advantage. Evan Maritz and Nils Dueppe fell 6-3 at the No. 1 spot, while Carlos Grimaldi and Nudem Koyuncu also lost their match 6-3 at No. 2 doubles. Leyton Ross and Jack Contrucci were also defeated 6-3 in the No. 3 doubles match, giving Kansas Wesleyan a 1-0 lead heading into singles.

Despite the early deficit, the Spires mounted a spirited comeback in singles competition. Carlos battled valiantly at No. 1 singles but ultimately fell in a hard-fought match to Radu Davalos 6-3, 6-4. However, Nils quickly responded for Saint Mary with a decisive 6-4, 6-2 victory at No. 2 singles.

Evan kept the momentum in the Spires' favor, earning a solid 6-3, 6-2 victory at No. 3 singles, pushing Saint Mary into a 2-2 tie. Kansas Wesleyan then took the lead in the score at 3-2 with a win at No. 6 singles. The tension mounted as the remaining matches went on.

With the overall match hanging in the balance at 3-2 in favor of Kansas Wesleyan, Nudem stepped up and delivered a crucial performance at No. 4 singles. Evening the score to 3-3.

The spotlight then turned to the No. 5 singles match featuring Jack. After splitting the first two sets, Jack came out strong in the decisive third set, racing to a commanding 3-0 lead. He maintained his composure and clinched the set with a decisive 6-1 finish, securing the thrilling 4-3 road victory for the Spires.

Up Next:

This hard-earned win showcases the team's resilience and fighting spirit. The Spires will look to carry this momentum into their next home match on Thursday, April 10th, when they host Evangel University (MO) with the first serve scheduled for 12:15 PM CDT.