The Creighton men’s tennis team continued its red-hot start to the season with a dominant 6-1 victory over Nebraska-Kearney on Tuesday night at the Hanscom Tennis Center. The win marked the Bluejays’ fifth straight and tied the program’s best start since the 1991-92 season.
While Creighton entered as the favorite, Head Coach Gerhard Posch knew the Lopers wouldn’t go down without a fight.
“We know Kearney, we’ve played them a few times, so we know not to underestimate them,” Posch said. “We’ve had a few matches with a similar type of opponent already this spring, and I think we’ve done a nice job of pulling through and focusing, even when we’re supposed to be the favorite team to win.”
That focus was evident from the start. Creighton jumped out to an early lead by sweeping the doubles point, securing wins at all three positions. Alejandro Gandini and Yuma Daijima set the tone with a commanding 6-2 win at No. 2 doubles. Zachary Kuo and Kirtan Patel then earned a 6-4 victory at No. 3. The Bluejays made it a clean sweep when Rocky McKenzie and Ethan Neil closed out a 6-4 win at No. 1.
Despite the lopsided final score, Posch credited Nebraska-Kearney for making Creighton earn every point.
“We can’t drop our level, because they’re very scrappy,” Posch said. “They’re a team that fights back all the time. Skill-wise, we’re the better team. But you know, it doesn’t take much for one of those matches to get really close.”
Patel made sure that didn’t happen. The junior wasted no time in singles play, rolling to a dominant 6-0, 6-1 victory at No. 4. Neil followed suit with a convincing 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 6.
Gandini delivered the clinching point at No. 1 singles, battling through a tough firstset tiebreaker before pulling away for a 7-6 (6-4), 6-2 win. McKenzie added a 7-5, 7-5 victory at No. 5, while Kuo staged a comeback at No. 3, rallying from a set down to claim a 5-7, 6-1, 10-4 triumph.
The Jays’ only loss on the night came at No. 2 singles, where Daijima fell in a marathon match to Jip Mens, 7-6 (6-4), 5-7, 10-6.
“I thought his opponent played really well and had an outstanding day,” Posch said. “With Yuma, he’s learned a lot, but he still gets carried away sometimes with his emotions. So I just told him to stay composed and play every single point.”
While Daijima has proven he can deliver in clutch moments, Posch hopes the setback fuels him moving forward.
“Yuma has been incredibly good at winning close matches and making the right decision at the right time,” Posch said. “Hopefully he’ll learn from [the loss], and he can make up for it on Saturday.”
That next challenge comes in the form of Big East rival St. John’s, as Creighton prepares for its conference opener tomorrow at home. The Red Storm, a perennial conference contender, narrowly edged the Bluejays last season in New York. This time, the match is on Creighton’s turf, and Posch sees an opportunity to make a statement.
“St. John’s is a different caliber type team,” he said. “I know they have a lot of respect for us. It was a close match, even in New York last year.”
With momentum on their side, Posch believes the Bluejays can rise to the occasion.
“They don’t know our courts that well. We’ve got the home-court advantage going for us, and if we play lights out, if we play confident, then we have every chance to win that duel,” he said. “And it’s a match where we can maybe play a bit more relaxed because they’re, I think on paper, supposed to be better than us.”
Creighton will look to keep its historic start rolling when they take on St. John’s at 2 p.m. tomorrow at the Hanscom Tennis Center.