Blue Mountain Christian Battles No. 22 UT Southern in SSAC Opener

NEW ALBANY, Miss. — The Blue Mountain Christian men’s tennis team opened Southern States Athletic Conference play against No. 22 UT Southern. The Toppers lost 5-2 in their season debut against the ranked Firehawks.

In doubles action, Blue Mountain Christian was competitive on several courts. Adriaan Engelbrecht and Luis Lainer narrowly lost 7-5 on the No. 1 court, while Pablo Cruz and Kevin Kotzé also fell 7-5 on the third court. Craig Blevins and Maj Langerholz were defeated 6-1 on the No. 2 court, giving UT Southern the early doubles point.

Single matches featured several close battles. Engelbrecht dropped the first set 6-3 but responded with a 6-4 win in the second before falling 6-2 in the third. Cruz secured the Toppers’ only singles win with a 6-3, 7-6 straight-set victory. Juan Daniel Aravelo lost 6-2, 6-0, while Blevins fell 6-0, 6-1. Kotzé pushed his match to three sets, winning the first 6-3 but losing the second 7-6 and the third-set tiebreaker 6-2. Luis Lainer provided the other point for Blue Mountain Christian with a 6-1, 6-3 victory.

Despite the loss, the match was a valuable early test for the Toppers as they continue conference play. The team looks to build on their performance in upcoming matches, facing stronger opponents as the season progresses.

Source: Original Article