GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Calvin University men's tennis team started strong but ultimately lost its lone team competition of the fall season in a 5-2 defeat to Davenport University on Saturday at Gainey Athletic Complex.
Calvin (0-1) got off to a good start and earned the doubles point by winning two of the three doubles matches over Davenport (2-1).
The number-one team of
Rodrigo Alipio (Santos, São Paulo, Brazil/COC Universitario) and
Mário Neto (Boa Vista, Brazil/Reino) won their match 6-4, and the number-three team of
Caleb Bartels (Belton, Mo./Kansas City Christian) and
Emmanuel Henao (Medellin, Columbia/Escuela Normal Superior "La Merced") secured the team point with a 7-5 win.
Alipio continued his strong day with a three-set win in number-one singles. Alipio won the first set 6-3, and then overcame a 4-6 second set by winning the tiebreaker 10-8 to put a second point on the board for Calvin.
That point would be the final one for the Knights, however, as Davenport won the other five singles matches in straight sets.
NEXT UP: Calvin men's tennis will return to action in 2026, which will include its trip to Orlando, Florida, over spring break before starting conference play in the spring.
