Box Score

ORLANDO, Fla. - In a battle of regionally ranked squads, the Elmhurst College men's tennis team came up one point short in a 5-4 loss to Luther College in Orlando, Fla.

Elmhurst, ranked 14th in the latest ITA Central Regional poll, dropped to 7-4 with the loss while Luther (ranked 13th in the region) improved to 13-2.

Luther earned the win by taking two of the three doubles contests. The two teams split the six singles matches.

Luther's duo of Scott Sundstrom and Ramesh Karki edged Elmhurst's Alex Harbert and Will Jung 9-8 at No. 1 doubles. Sundstrom and Karki needed a tiebreaker to upend the Bluejays' duo. At No. 2 doubles, Elmhurst's Vincent McPherson and Luke Tanaka downed Nick Mozena and James Ayer 9-7. Luther's Tyler Zinnecker and Aaron Gendron downed Elmhurst's Kevin Noble and Jim White at No. 3 doubles.

In singles play, Sundstrom edged Harbert in three sets (1-6, 6-2, 6-3) at No. 1 singles. Karki needed three sets (6-2, 2-6, 6-2) to get past Jung at No. 2 singles. McPherson scored the Bluejays a point at No. 3 singles by knocking off Gendron 6-3, 6-2 at No. 3 singles. Tanaka tipped Matt Bellio 6-0, 1-6, 6-2 at No. 4 singles while Noble toppled Torstein Jystad 7-6, 6-4 at No. 5 singles. Luther's Quinn Foley stopped Justin Guenther 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 at No. 6 singles.

Elmhurst hosts St. Joseph's College on Saturday, March 31.