May 20, 2024
WU Reaches Quarterfinals of the NAIA Championships Two Years in a Row
By Francisco Claudio
Last year, the Westcliff men's tennis team made their NAIA Tennis Championships debut and had a great result as they made it to the tournament's quarterfinals.
They carried that momentum forward, having good results in the ITA Regional Tournament, ITA Indoor Tournament, and eventually defending their GSAC Championship last month.
Now, the Warriors were eager to take another shot at the national level as they took on Holy Cross (Ind.) in the second round of the NAIA tournament.
The Warriors got off to a good start winning the doubles point and followed that up by winning the singles 3,4, and 5 for a final score of 4-1.
"Great win today for the boys," head coach Ross Duncan shared. "Felix should be highlighted as he split sets with the No. 1 singles player in the country and had a come-from-behind doubles win today."
Doubles No. 2 Felix Veyhle/Max Mueller won their match 7-5 while the No. 3 doubles pair of Maxence Kupfert/Angel Melgar won 6-4.
In singles, No. 4,5, and 6 got the job done in straight sets to get the four points the Warriors needed to win the match.
No. 1 singles Veyhle, was in a tight match with the best singles player in the country. Their match went unfinished as the players split sets and would have gone to the third, but the Warriors had taken care of business at that point.
The final score in the second round was 4-1, as Westcliff moved on to the quarterfinals and would play the No.4 seed, Northwestern Ohio.
Westcliff and Northwestern Ohio have some recent history as they played each other in the ITA Indoor Championships earlier in the year with UNOH just inching by the Warriors 4-3.
That match was a real nail-biter, coming down to the wire, with the final game deciding the outcome.
Warriors faced a tough match as they aimed to solidify their position in the NAIA.
"We need to win doubles and show mental resilience," explained head coach Duncan ahead of the match.
But the task was a lot more difficult for the Warriors this time, and they weren't able to win the doubles point, falling behind in the overall score 1-0.
Karlo Krolo and Angel Melgar won their singles matches in straight sets, but the rest of the team was in tough battles that could have gone one way or the other.
In the end, Westcliff lost 4-2 to UNOH, ending their national run in the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year.
It was a valiant run for the Warriors who are already planning and looking ahead to next year and another chance at climbing to the top of the NAIA.
They will have the luxury of retaining the majority of their starting lineup, with the only departing seniors being the captains, Max Mueller and Felix Veyhle.
Although it will be a significant loss for the program, the culture established under Coach Duncan will propel the team forward.