Creighton men’s tennis (3-0) came up victorious against Air Force Academy (1-1) on Jan. 30 after a night of rewarding and long matches at the Hanscom Tennis Center.
The Jays headed into the first match of the spring 2-0 record from fall play. They fought against adversity over the course of the hours-long matches and exerted themselves as a team. Creighton ended with a tight 4-3 victory against the Falcons, gathering momentum into a highly competitive stretch of the season.
“It was a really well-earned, hard-fought win. I was super impressed with how the freshmen handled everything [as] it’s their first career match,” assistant coach Matthew Lanahan said. “So I think they played really resilient. The guys brought a lot of energy, and I was super impressed with how everybody came to play right from the very first point.”
Freshman Mathis Dahler dominated the courts. Not only did he clutch the doubles point, but he also determined the win in his singles match, both going into a tie breaker and third set. Dahler and senior Zachary Kuo squeezed out a 13-11 win in the tiebreaker in doubles, which gave the team a 1-0 advantage heading into singles play. Following this, Dahler ended with a 6-4 victory in the third set of his doubles match after splitting victories between his first two sets. This point ensured that the Falcons would not catch up and solidified a match victory.
“Unbelievable today,” Dahler said, almost in disbelief. “Great team effort and just my first college match ever…so happy now.”
Lanahan spoke with pride about Mathis’s mental and physical toughness.
“I know he was tired. He was fighting physically and mentally,” the assistant coach said. “[But] he stayed calm. He wasn’t afraid to go for shots when there were big moments, and he just played really tough.”
Lanahan emphasized the importance of Mathis and Kuo’s win in maintaining the team’s edge, noting that even a single point can decide a competitive match. Creighton’s eventual victory was only decided by one point.
But Mathias’ win was not the only factor. No. 1 singles player and senior Yuma Dajima continued to show up for his team and lead by example as an upperclassman.
“He has played lights-out ever since he’s gotten to the starting lineup and has played nothing but good tennis,” Lanahan said. “I mean, there aren’t many matches that I see him lose. He is always out there playing really hard and finding a way to win.”
There was exceptional play across the Bluejay lineup. Sophomore Rocky Mckenzie and Freshman Jack McMahon took a 6-4 victory in doubles. Dajima cruised through singles with 6-4 and 6-1 victories. McMahon also secured a 6-2 and 6-4 win in his singles match.
Lanahan noted the team seeks to continue its calm and driven approach throughout the season. He spoke highly of head coach Posch Gerhard’s preparation of the team, focusing on their “pressure points” and simulating crucial points in practice.
Following this, the Jays split a home doubleheader on Sunday, Feb. 1, sweeping Gustavus Adolphus and falling 3-4 to Drake. They will head south to Oklahoma State on Friday, Feb. 6, with matches served up at 6 p.m.