The men’s tennis team finished second in the Sun Belt Conference Championship in Monroe, La., after falling 4-2 to the University of South Alabama in the finals on Sunday.
Top-seeded Denver defeated Western Kentucky 4-0 on Friday in the quarterfinals, and then went on to claim a 4-3 win over Florida Atlantic in the semifinals on Saturday.
The Pioneers claimed the doubles point with wins at No. 2 by freshman Andrew Landwerlen and sophomore David Simson, 8-1, and senior Kalle Rosen and junior Benny Althaus claimed No. 3’s 8-2.
In singles play, Denver went on to win three consecutive matches as Landwerlen, Simson and Rosen each won 6-0, 6-0 against Western Kentucky despite rain.
On Saturday, the Pioneers went on to claim the doubles point as Simson and Landwerlen defeated Florida Atlantic’s Marc Adbeinour and Eddie Majcher 8-2 at No. 2, and at No. 3, Rosen and Althaus defeated Joe Cadogan and Lawerence Harradine 8-6.
Denver continued to singles, and despite senior Adam Holmstrom’s first loss of the season at No. 1 singles, Landwerlen defeated FAU’s Daniel Vardag 6-3,6-1 at No. 5 singles, giving DU a 2-1 edge.
The Owls tied it 2-2 with a win at No. 2 singles, but not for long. Althaus put DU back in the lead with a 6-4, 6-3 victory at No. 4 singles.
Simson clinched the match winning a three-set at No. 3 singles 5-7, 7-5, 7-6.
In the championship game, Homstrom and senior Niklas Persson claimed an 8-1 victory in No. 2 singles. The Jaguars picked up a win at No. 2 doubles, but Denver went on to take the point at No. 3 as Rosen and Althaus defeated USA’s Aaron Krisam and Michael O’Brien 8-6.
Despite Denver’s early 2-0 lead, the Jaguars, who defeated the Pioneers in season’s SBC final as well, went on to win the match defeating Persson 7-5, 6-0 at No. 2 singles. South Alabama also defeated Holmstrom 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 at No. 1.
The Jaguars took a 3-2 advantage and clinched the match as South Alabama’s Marek Sramek defeated Simson 7-7, 6-3 at No. 3.
USA defeated the Pioneers 4-0 last year in the finals.
“South Alabama is a great team and did not lose too many players from last year, when we got beat down 4-0 very fast,” Holmstrom said. “This year, I believe that we were in the game, and it could have gone either way, a couple of points here and there made the difference. We would have needed 1 more win in the first four spots, then I believe that we would have won, but at the same time is that South Alabama’s strength.”
The Pioneers will find out if they will make it to the NCAA when the selections are announced on ESPNews on April 29 at 1 p.m. MDT.
“At the moment are we in the bubble of maybe making it,” Holmstrom said. “So we can only hope that luck is going our way and keep on practicing as we are in it to be as prepared as possible.”
