Warriors' Title Hopes Fall Short Against (RV) Morningside

SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. – Playing in its sixth-straight Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Championship, Midland University went up against (RV) Morningside University on Saturday inside the First Serve Tennis Center. The Warriors' hopes of winning the coveted championship banner for a fifth-straight season came up just short as they lost a hard-fought battle to the Mustangs, 4-1.

Joren Stevens and Benjamin Starman picked up the first win of the day in singles play, besting the duo of Mark Trenkle and Gustac Sjoberg by a score of 6-1. After the Mustangs evened the score with a win at No. 3s, Daniel Liebig and Boris Velasquez clinched the first team point of the dual with a 6-3 win over Santiago Minetti and Skander Ben Abdallah at No. 2s.

In singles action, the teams showed how evenly matched they were with four matches going to the third set. Morningside tied and then took the lead in the dual with wins at No. 2s and then No. 6s, both coming in straight sets. At No. 4s, Sjoberg edged past Vitor Goncalves (6-7, 6-3, 6-2) to put the Mustangs on the verge of the title. They were able to clinch the victory at No. 3s as Ben Abdallah outlasted Stevens in three sets (6-4, 1-6, 6-4).

With the loss, Midland's season reaches its endpoint. The Warriors had a solid season, going 12-7 overall and 4-2 in the GPAC in head coach Robert Weber's first season. They'll look to bounce back next year with dedication and hard work during the offseason.