WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- No. 18-ranked Midwestern State was 2-1 against nationally ranked opponents at the UT Tyler Invitational last week, and this week three more tough opponents will challenge the Mustangs at MSU Tennis Center.

Nebraska-Kearney faces MSU on Friday at 2 p.m. The Lopes make their fourth appearance in Wichita Falls and seek their first-ever win over the Mustangs. Midwestern State leads the all-time series, 7-0, and won the last encounter in 2017 at MSU Tennis Center, 7-2. UNK, ranked No. 40 in the ITA Division II rankings, has won its last six dual matches and boast a 7-2 overall record following a 6-1 over Augustana. The Lopes have only dropped five oints during their dual match winning streak.

No. 13-ranked Washburn meets the Mustangs on Saturday at 2 p.m. MSU leads the all-time series with the Ichabods, 7-3, but Washburn scored a 5-2 victory at MSU Tennis Center two years ago in its last encounter with Midwestern State. The loss snapped a four-match winning streak in the series for the Mustangs, who are 2-2 when hosting Washburn. The Ichabods have a 4-3 overall record and are coming off a 5-2 loss at No. 2-ranked Saint Leo last week. The loss to the Lions ended a streak of three consecutive dual-match victories, including a 5-2 win over No. 3-ranked Flagler. Washburn's other two losses came last month to No. 7-ranked Indianapolis, 4-3, and No. 8 Wayne State, 4-1.

Midwestern State's first-ever dual match against No. 14-ranked McKendree gets underway at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The Bearcats opened the spring campaign with six straight dual-match victories before succumbing to Drury in their last outing, 5-2. McKendree battles UT Tyler and Cameron in dual matches at MSU Tennis Center before its encounter with the hosts.

Philip Kamara has been a stand out singles player in his six appearances for the 4-2 Mustangs. Kamara is 4-0 with two victories at No. 6 singles and two more wins at No. 5 singles. The sophomore from Romania won a match via forfeit against Auburn-Montgomery and had an unfinished match against West Florida at No. 4 singles last weekend.

Stephen Slocombe is 3-1 at No. 4 singles for Midwestern State but lost two matches at No. 3 singles during the UT Tyler Invitational. Slocombe took a 2-6, 0-6 loss to Adrian Contreras of No. 19-ranked Auburn-Montgomery and a 0-6, 2-6 loss to Albin Ekenros of No. 7 West Florida. Slocombe is 3-1 at No. 1 doubles, playing alongside Luis Diaz Argente.

Diaz is 2-0 at No. 2 singles, but the fifth-year senior from Madrid, Spain, has lost twice at No. 3 singles. Diaz only played singles in one dual match last week, defeating Wilson Igbinovia of No. 23-ranked West Alabama, 6-1, 6-0. Diaz was held out of singles for the other two dual matches due to an injury.

Germano Setti is 2-4 in six appearances at No. 1 singles for the Mustangs. Setti posted an impressive 2-6, 7-6 (10), 7-5 win over Joao Guariente of Auburn-Montgomery last week after defeating Lucas Hammond of West Alabama, 6-3, 6-3. Setti is 2-4 in doubles this season playing alongside Killian Guillou. The duo cruised to a 6-1 victory over Igbinovia and Vilislav Bonev of West Alabama in Tyler last week.

Guillou is 3-3 in singles matches this season. The sophomore from Paris, France, is 2-0 at No. 3 singles after defeating Eita Ishikawa of West Alabama last week, 6-3, 6-3. Guillou is 1-3 at No. 2 singles with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Ole Valksyer of Southern Arkansas.

Justin Van Amerongen improved to 2-1 at No. 5 singles with a 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-2 victory over Agustin Marquez of Auburn-Montgomery last week.
 

Nebraska-Kearney

The Lopers were picked in the preseason coaches' poll to finish behind Washburn and Northwest Missouri in the North Division of the MIAA.

Freshman Andy Brisdon from Manchester, England is 6-0 this season, splitting time between No. 5 and No. 6 singles. Brisdon is coming off a 6-0, 6-0 triumph over Johah Bergeron of Bethel College on Feb. 17.
Maksym Kulish, ranked No. 24 among Division II singles players, has been manning No. 1 singles for the Lopes and is 2-3 with all three losses coming in match tiebreaks.

Kulish and Jip Mens have been playing doubles for UNK and have posted a 3-2 record.

Mens has won six straight singles matches and the last five have victories have come in straight sets.

Aaron Osmond, a senior from Cheltenham, England, is 5-0 in singles and all five victories have come in straight sets.

Adam Palecek has won his last three singles matches, including a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Moses Sawatzky.
 

Washburn

The Ichabods have three singles players ranked among the top-25 in Division II by the ITA.

Sebastian Pjontek is No. 4 in the nation, but he is 2-6 since Jan. 21 and is coming off a 2-6, 3-6 loss to No. 2-ranked Vincent Thiel of Saint Leo.

Tim Hammes is ranked No. 15 with a 4-4 record this year. Hammes fell to No. 9-ranked Martin Soukal of Saint Leo, 7-5, 3-6, 1-6.

Santiago Rendon is No. 22 in the nation and is 5-3 this season after defeating Nicolas Bacella of Saint Leo, 6-4, 6-1.

Hammes and Rendon are ranked No. 3 in doubles, but Hammes has played alongside Pjontek at No. 1 doubles in the last four dual matches. Daniel Bird and Matthew Earle are 4-3 in doubles this season and have played at the No. 2 position in the last five dual matches. As a team, Washburn is 11-10 in doubles this year.
 

McKendree

Leonardo Schmitz Frederico is 5-2 at No. 1 singles for the Bearcats but is coming off a 7-5, 0-6, 4-6 loss to Yaroslav Sharvy of Drury, which snapped a four-match winning streak for the senior from Brazil.

Sebastian Holden scored straight-set wins in each of his first six matches at No. 2 singles but suffered a 0-6, 2-6 loss to Sylvain Garin-Michaud of Drury on Monday.

Bendix Schroeder of Germany had a four-match winning streak at No. 3 singles before falling to Marlon Wilken of Drury, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, and is 4-3 for the season.

Senior Vishnu Prasad of India boast a 5-2 record at No. 4 singles after defeating Jesus Gonzalez of Drury, 6-2, 6-0.

Luka Kalenic, a sophomore from Serbia and a transfer from the University of San Francisco, is 3-4 at No. 5 singles for the Bearcats.

Lorenzo del Biondo, a fifth-year senior from Italy, is 7-0 this year and has not dropped a set at No. 6 singles.

Schmitz and Schroeder have been playing No. 1 doubles and had a four-match winning streak snapped with a 6-3 loss to Drury. Kalenic and Prasad are 3-4 at No. 2 doubles. Holden and del Biondo have been reliable at No. 3 doubles with a 4-2 record this season.

Midwestern State takes a Spring Break trip to the Sunshine State for dual matches against Embry-Riddle, Rollins and Flagler before beginning play against Lone Star Conference opponents. The Mustangs meet Embry-Riddle on Tuesday in Daytona Beach, Florida. The dual match begins at 2 p.m.

--MSUMustangs.com--