KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Trine University men's tennis team will share the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Regular Season Championship after dropping their final match of the regular season to Kalamazoo College by the score of 7-2.
The Thunder took two of the three doubles matches to build an early 2-1 lead in the match. Drew Dixon and Cole Goodman posted the most convincing of the wins, taking the No. 2 match 8-1. Nicholas Jen and Caleb Morris were just behind in the No. 3 match with an 8-2 victory. Sammy Yin and Andrew Spirrison took a 5-3 lead in their No. 1 match, but the Hornets posted the comeback to win 8-6 handing Trine their only loss.
Following a short delay as the matches were moved inside due to inclement weather, the Hornets found their footing. The home team would take the first four singles matches all in two sets. Morris ended up being the lone member of the team to win his first set but fell in the second and the tiebreaker to lose the No. 5 match 6-4, 2-6, 9-11. Dixon dominated the second set after dropping his first but tripped up in the tiebreaker to fall in the No. 6 match 3-6, 6-0, 3-10.
The Thunder finish the regular season 14-4 overall and 6-1 in MIAA play, capturing their first ever MIAA championship. Both Kalamazoo and Calvin University will share the title having also finished 6-1. The tiebreakers will give Trine the three seed in the upcoming MIAA tournament. They will travel to face second-seeded Calvin on Wednesday, May 1.