BOTH MEN AND WOMEN QUALIFY FOR POSTSEASON PLAY

Springfield, Mo. – The Bethany College Tennis teams took the road to Springfield, Mo. to take on the Evangel University Valor in what was a win-or-go-home situation for the women's team. The men already qualified thanks to some help from Tabor College on Monday when they defeated the Friends University Falcons 4-3.

Women

The Swedes took the doubles point as they won the number two and three positions 7-6 (7-0) and 6-2, respectively.

In the singles, Makenna Russom would secure the second team point winning her match 6-2, 6-4. Kyla Metro secured the third point winning 6-2, 7-5. Helen Harbit clinched the final point needed to secure a playoff birth winning 6-0, 6-1. Karee Adam finished shortly afterwards win a three-set monster 6-2, 5-7, 1-0 (10-4). The Swedes would win 5-2.

Men

The doubles point came down to a tiebreaker. Francisco Bravo and Martin Priban would their match 6-3, but pairing of Alexjandro Rico Moran and Carlos Rodrigues Rivas would fall with the same score. The number two doubles duo of Zeke Mumford and Dylan Gwilt took their match to a tiebreaker where they would fall 6-7 (7-9). The Valor would begin the singles portion of the match up 1-0.

Zeke Mumford made up for his earlier loss with a win at the number three singles position taking his match in straight sets 7-5, 7-6(7-5). Unfortunately for Bethany, Mumford was the lone win on the singles side. The Valor took this one 6-1.

Up Next…

Both squads are now officially in the KCAC Tennis Championships. The women's team qualified last year as a sixth-seed, but fell to Sterling College in the first round. This will be the first time the men will have made the tournament since 2021 where they were a sixth-seed that lost in the first round to Southwestern College. This also marks the first time both teams have made the tournament since 2016. Both teams will enter the tournament as the eighth-seed with both matches beginning at 9:00 AM on Thursday, April 24, in Lindsborg, Kan.