Oberlin, Ohio - Celebrating their seniors with a doubleheader on Saturday, the No. 33 Oberlin College men's tennis team took on No. 11 Kenyon and DII program Tiffin. The Yeomen stole a doubles point from the Owls fell 6-1 to the national foe, then dropped a 6-1 contest to the Dragons. 

Beginning with doubles against Kenyon, the Yeomen played with high energy. Oberlin No. 2 doubles pairing Zain Makada and Enrique Margain, took three games off Kenyon in a 6-3 loss. At No. 3, Dash Smith and Sebastien Naginski won a thrilled 6-4 contest to take down their Owls counterpart. To win the doubles point for Oberlin, Shawn Lisann and Cameron Weiss crushed the sixth-ranked team in the region with a 6-3 victory.

After an exciting doubles competition, the Owls swooped in on the yeomen in singles play. On No. 2, Lisann fell 6-0, 6-1 just before Makada followed with a 6-1, 6-0 loss on court three. At No. 4 singles, Margain put up a long and powerful fight, but dropped his match 6-4, 6-3. Naginski fell next at No. 6 singles, 6-4, 6-1, sealing the win for Kenyon. 

Despite the certain loss, the Crimson and Gold's rookies showed their energy and resilience against the nationally ranked competition. On the fifth court, Weiss took his opponent to a seven-point tiebreaker in the first set, losing 7-6 (7-4). Weiss' opponent, Eliezer Gonzalez, carried his momentum into the second set, winning 6-2. 

At No. 1 singles for the fourth-straight match, Smith took on the sixth-ranked singles player in the Central Region. Smith claimed the first set 6-4 after rallying back from behind. His opponent, Maximo Llamas, then took the second set 6-2. With the two teams and spectators watching, Smith and Llamas played a ten-point breaker for their match. Llamas come out on top, taking the tiebreaker 10-5.

Despite the loss, this is the first time in the scoring format that the Yeomen have grabbed a point off the perennial powerhouse of Kenyon.

After a short rest, Oberlin regathered for a match against Tiffin.

With a new lineup, the Crimson and Gold saw senior James Foster pair up with Oliver Faranda, playing a set riddled with topspin lobs and angled volleys. Though losing 6-3, the duo played a skillful and coordinated match. 

Veteran doubles players, Max Brose and Lisann, played on court three, choosing to win from the baseline in a 6-2 victory. No. 2 doubles saw the rare pairing of Brady Huggett and Naginski. The duo fell 7-5, giving the doubles point to Tiffin. 

In singles play, more unconventional plays and lineup entries followed. Huggett at No. 1 singles took to the spot readily, running, smashing, and playing high quality tennis in what ended in a 6-2, 6-0 loss. Sophomore Oliver Knijnenburg, played on court No. 2, making dropshots, volleys, and overheads in a doubles-meets-singles game style, losing 6-1, 6-4. Ben Tichauer at No. 3 singles played his go-to style as well, controlling the match and keeping his opponent on his toes. Though landing shot after shot, the junior lost 6-2, 6-0. 

With the dual match falling in favor of the Dragons, the remaining three singles contests played out with fire and high energy. Faranda took his first set 6-1, but ran into trouble despite his athletic plays and high-effort shots. He went down in the second set, 6-2, and lost the third set 6-3, at No. 4 singles. Foster made a variety of lobs, slices, and dropshots, but the senior lost 6-1, 6-4 at No. 5 singles. 

Ending the match on a high note and taking his first ever career singles win, Tory Johansson slayed the Dragons 6-3, 6-0 on court six. When asked about his match, Tory said, "I was a little nervous and tight at the start of the match, but with coaching from Dash and cheering from my teammates, I was able to swing freely and play my game."

Looking ahead, Oberlin faces a triple-header next weekend against No. 4 Denison, No. 48 Wabash, and Wooster on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, respectively. Their first dual match, a home contest against the Big Red, will begin on Friday, April 10, 4 p.m.

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