SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. -- Freshman Leon Kah (Munich, Germany) won his second consecutive Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) match, but it was not enough as the Purdue Northwest men's tennis team dropped its match to Lake Superior State University (Mich.) Sunday in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
Kah came back and rebounded from his doubles loss and won his match at No. 3 singles in a three-set thriller, after dropping his first match 4-6. He fought back and won the next two sets in a big way, 6-1, 6-2 against Valderrama.
LSSU started the match winning three straight at doubles competition, but PNW put up a fight in all the matches. Junior Moritz Gisy (Duesseldorf, Germany) and sophomore Mauricio Villacres (Guayaquil, Ecuador) almost pulled it off at No. 1 doubles, as the duo got edged out by LSSU's Ieuan Lister and Diego Penz, 9-7.
Sophomore Ulf Grosseloh (Maximiliansau, Germany) and Kah won five games at No. 2 singles, but LSSU's Jake Prime and Luis Valderrama came out on top, 8-5. Freshmen Carter Moldenhauer (Michigan City, Ind./Marquette) and Dru Kennedy (LaPorte, Ind./LaPorte) picked up four big games at No. 3 doubles but LSSU's Peter Summers and Joe Gilman prevailed and won eight games and the match, 8-4.
Gisy fought hard at No. 2 singles almost pulling off the first set, but LSSU's Prime obtained both sets, 6-4, 6-2. Grosseloh captured one game in the first set and two in the second set at No. 1 singles, but Joe Gilman earned the victory, 6-1, 6-2.
Junior Diego Pimentel (Guayaquil, Ecuador) won two games at No. 4 singles but LSSU's Lister pulled off the victory, 6-2, 6-0. Villacres won three games in the first set, but dropped his match at No. 5 singles against LSSU's Penz, 6-3, 6-0. Moldenhauer secured two victories in the second set, but LSSU's Summers was too much at No. 6 singles as Summers won the match, 6-0, 6-2.
PNW (7-8, 1-4 GLIAC) returns to action next Friday, April 13, as the Pride host GLIAC opponent and No. 25 ranked Ferris State University (Mich.) at Match Point Tennis and Fitness Club in Griffith, Ind., with match time scheduled to start at 9 a.m. (CT).
