San Antonio, TX - The 14th-ranked Trinity University men's tennis team secured a hard-fought 4-3 victory over the 15th-ranked Washington University in St. Louis on a muggy Monday afternoon at the Butch Newman Tennis Center. In a tightly contested matchup between nationally ranked programs, the Tigers relied on strong doubles play and clutch three-set performances in singles to edge the Bears.
Trinity set the tone early by claiming the doubles point. The senior pair of Aashish Dhanani (Austin, Texas / Westwood) and Conor Kaczmarczyk (Aurora, Colo. / Regis Jesuit) were first off the courts at #3, earning a solid 6-4 victory with consistent play. Shortly after, the #1 duo of Kishan Kersten (Plano, Texas / West) and Jared Perry (Tucson, Ariz. / Catalina Foothills) secured the doubles point with a 7-5 win at the top position. The Washington University Bears claimed the remaining doubles match at #2, defeating Ethan Flores (Houston, Texas / Clear Lake) and Roshin Kamath (League City, Texas / Clear Springs) 7-6 (7-5), but the Tigers carried a 1-0 lead into singles.
Singles play proved to be a battle, with both teams trading momentum throughout the afternoon. The first result came at #6, where the Bears earned a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Kamath to level the match. The Bears then took their first lead of the day at #2, as the 20th-ranked Perry fell in a three-set contest, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
Trinity responded at #3, where Dhanani delivered a composed 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 win to even the score. Ryan Warren (Keller, Texas / Connection Academy), ranked No. 30 nationally, followed with a resilient three-set performance at #4, battling to a 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-3 victory to put the Tigers back in front.
All eyes then turned to Kaczmarczyk at #5 with the match hanging in the balance. After dropping the opening set 6-3, he responded emphatically, raising his level to take the second set 6-1 and force a decisive third. In the final set, Kaczmarczyk battled his way to a 5-4 lead, standing just one point from clinching the team victory. What followed was a tense rally, both players scrambling around the court and trading heavy shots as neither wanted to give an inch. The point ended in dramatic fashion when Mahajan called a shot out, only for Kaczmarczyk to immediately challenge the call. The ball was ruled in, sealing the match and sparking jubilation as the entire Trinity team rushed the court in celebration.
The final match of the day went to the Bears at #1, where 16th-ranked Kersten pushed his opponent to three sets before falling 6-7, 7-6 (4), 2-6, closing the match at 4-3.
In a match that featured four three-set singles battles, Trinity's depth and resilience ultimately proved decisive as the Tigers defended their home courts against another top-25 opponent.
Next Up
The No. 14 Tigers will continue their spring break home stand tomorrow, as they take on 9th-ranked Swarthmore College at the Butch Newman Tennis Center at 1:00 p.m.
