The Wildcat tennis teams started off the new season well this weekend in their first tournament of the year.
The teams played in the Racquet Club Division I Invitational in Midland, the New Mexico State Invitational in Las Cruces, N.M. and the Oklahoma City Invitational in Oklahoma City, Okla.
The highlight was the play of doubles partners Hans Hach-Borja Cortés, and for the women Kaysie Hermsdorf-Laura Mongin.
“In doubles we made it all the way to the finals and played really well together,” senior Hans Hach said. “We beat Rice, Arkansas, and a couple of other really good teams.”
The men’s doubles team played well with Hach and Cortés coming away with runner-up honors in Midland.
They beat very talented teams to reach the finals, until falling to Wichita State.
“It was a really close match,” Hach said. “We lost 8-6 but we still felt that we did very well overall in the tournament.”
Hach also played well in the singles round as well. He defeated many tough opponents from Nebraska and Wichita State. He made it to the quarterfinals round, but then lost to a competitive TCU team.
“In singles I did pretty well, I faced a lot of really tough competition and great players and was able to beat the number one rated player so that definitely gets you excited,” Hach said.
The women’s doubles team of Hermsdorf and Mongin also played at a high level and were able to beat out the competition and win New Mexico State’s double main draw.
They played Tarleton State for the championship and beat them 9-7.
“Kaysie and Laura won the draw of double, which is very good!” senior Julia Mongin said. “They had a really good weekend of tennis.”
Junior Micah Hermsdorf played well at the singles level, reaching all the way to the championship match. After a fierce battle, she couldn’t keep up as she lost 7-6, 7-6.
“In New Mexico, Micah went to the final but lost, it was really great matches,” Mongin said. “She played so well and I know she’ll continue to play hard and win.”
Overall, the ACU women combined to go 10-7 during the singles main draw and later won 11 of 13 consolation matches.
“I am looking forward to Kansas invitational this weekend with all the girls,” Mongin said.
This coming week, the men’s tennis team will travel to Las Cruces, New Mexico.
The women head to Lawrence, Kansas, for the Jayhawk Invitational.
“It’s always great to start off the season with good results and kind of ride that through the rest of the season,” Hach said. “I’m hoping that this early success will lead to future success.”
