Creighton men’s and women’s tennis teams excelled on the court in Friday’s dual matches against Montana State and Central Arkansas. The men remained undefeated at home, triumphing over the Bobcats with a 6-1 win, while the women secured their third consecutive win by defeating the Central Arkansas Bears 5-2.
The men’s team initiated their winning streak early in the morning, swiftly clinching the doubles point with victories at the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles positions. Junior Alejandro Gandini and sophomore Yuma Daijima continued their impressive form with a 6-3 win, marking their fifth consecutive victory at the No. 3 doubles spot. Sophomore Zach Kuo and senior Shin Inoue sealed the doubles play with a 6-2 win at the No. 2 position.
“We came out very strong [and] very positive,” Inoue said. “Even though they were playing good points, we were on top of the net, so that felt really good… [Kuo and I] just workreally well together.There’s a lot of chemistry between us.”
The momentum carried into the singles matches for the Jays, as they swiftly claimed the first sets across the No. 2 through No. 6 positions. Kuo led the charge, securing a 2-0 lead for the Jays with a 6-0, 6-3 victory at No. 3 singles. Gandini followed suit with a 6-1, 6-4 win on the No. 4 court, extending the Jays’ lead to 3-0.
“Singles went really good, really fast,” head coach Gerhard Posch said. “Only an hour went by, and we were already up a set in a bunch of the matches, so I am happy everyone was ready to play.”
Shin Inoue sealed the victory for Creighton with a dominant 6-0, 6-4 win at No. 5 singles. After focusing on doubles in the beginning stages of the season, the senior made his return to singles in an impressive fashion.
“It was tough [to be sidelined] at the beginning of the season, because I was in the lineup since my freshman year [and had been] until my senior,” Inoue said. “But at the end, my team was winning, so I was happy for that. I just have to improve every day, no matter if I am going to play singles or not. I think that changed my thoughts. I was able to be really positive during the match and be more aggressive.”
Daijima also continued his success streak, securing his sixth consecutive win at the No. 6 position with a 6-2, 6-4 victory. Meanwhile, senior Matthew Lanahan edged out Montana State’s Andras Necz in a thrilling 6-0, 7-5, 15-13 third set tiebreak, continuing his impressive performance at No. 2 singles.
“Matt depends a lot on his rhythm, so I think for him, a lot of it is just a matter of confidence,” Posch said. “Once he finds that rhythm and plays with a lot of confidence, his game just seems to work out.”
Although Montana State’s Dario Ciobotaru put the Bobcats on the scoreboard with a win over sophomore Kirtan Patel at No. 1 singles, the Jays had already secured the duel with a 6-1 victory.
The Jays’ success continued on the women’s doubles side, thanks to a 6-3 win from sophomore Ana Paula Martinez and freshman Elsa Jurrens at the No. 3 spot. At No. 2 doubles, junior Valerie Negin and sophomore Annika Elvestrom secured the opening point with a 6-4 victory.
“Coming in, we knew it was going to be a tough match, so I am really happy with the way the girls fought and played today,” head coach Tom Lilly said. “We won some really tight matches today, and that was good to see.”
Heading into singles matches, the advantage proved crucial as the Bears’ No. 6 singles tied the match with a 6-4, 6-2 win. However, an injury forfeit on the No. 2 court put the Jays back in the lead 2-1.
The bac-and-forth nature of the matches continued as junior Siri Kongara defeatedSumomoHamanaga in straight sets at the No. 4 position, extending Creighton’s lead. The Bears responded quickly with a 6-4, 7-5 win over senior Malvika Shukla at the top singles position. However,Elvestrom secured the dual with a 6-4, 6-4 victory on the No. 5 court, marking the team’s third consecutive win after starting the season 0-2.
“I am really, really happy,” Elvestrom said. “At the end there, I was just like, ‘Get every ball back in play,’ and thankfully, she started missing a little more. The second set she came out swinging and was playing really well, and I just had to keep my head on and do what I had to do.”
Martinez concluded the dual with a hard-fought 6-2, 0-6, 6-3 win at No. 3 singles, further extending the Jays’ lead to 5-2.
Each team looks to continue their momentum, with the women returning to the court Feb. 16 against North Dakota, while the men take on Doane at home on Feb. 23.