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Squad Stays Unblemished In Conference Play, Handles LVC
Messiah head coach Frank Petre said freshman Jansen Hein is playing his best tennis of the season.

Annville, PA — It was relative business as usual for the Messiah College men’s tennis team Wednesday at MAC Commonwealth foe Lebanon Valley College, as the Falcons rattled off their second straight league win in an 8-1 decision over the Flying Dutchmen.

A quick, three-nothing surge in doubles play got things rolling for Messiah (4-6-1, 2-0), as seniors Nate Ipsen and Jonathan Siemen controlled LVC’s Matt Grodzinski and Tom Neckelmann in a dominating 8-1 win. Senior William Tanis and junior Sam Shorts followed in kind in the number two flight — an 8-2 win — while sophomore Luke Ruch and freshman Jansen Hein had only slightly more difficulty in an 8-5 win over the Dutchmen’s Matt Hotchkiss and Brad Sweigart in the third doubles slot.

Only Shorts would find the going tougher in singles’ play, representing Messiah’s only loss in a 6-2, 6-2 defeat to LVC’s Jared Zeigler. Ruch needed three sets to finish off the Flying Dutchmen’s Hotchkiss in the sixth singles position (a 4-6, 7-6, 10-3 come-from-behind victory), but the remainder of Messiah’s singles group was met with little resistance: Ipsen, Siemen and Hein all won in straight sets, with Hein giving up just three total games to LVC’s Sweigart.

“Jansen really has continued to improve his singles play, and that was evident today,” said Frank Petre, Messiah head coach. “Luke Ruch exhibited a great competitive spirit by winning a hard fought, come-from-behind win at number six (singles) in the super tie breaker. We’re excited to be in conference play, and even more excited with the start we’ve gotten off to. We’ll try to continue to improve our play as the season progresses.”

Messiah will take a brief hiatus from league competition next, as the team will travel to Penn State University-Harrisburg Friday. Match time is set for 3:30 p.m.