KEARNEY, Neb. – Midwestern State is northward bound for three dual matches this weekend. The Mustangs meet Nebraska-Kearney at 6 p.m. on Friday evening before playing Rockhurst at Ernest Grundy Tennis Center at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. The Mustangs then stop in Topeka, Kansas, for a dual match with No. 4-ranked Washburn at noon on Sunday.

Midwestern State defeated Seward County, 5-2, and beat Collin College 6-1 in dual matches at MSU Tennis Center last week. 

The Mustangs opened the season with a 5-2 win over Northwest Missouri State in Arkansas City, Kansas.

Senior Jose Marquez clinched the victory with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Bernardo Henriques at No. 4 singles.

Bruno Sanchez was equally impressive at No. 3 singles as he waltzed to a 6-0, 6-2 triumph over Konstantin Feiel.

Juan David Duque opened his fourth season with the Mustangs by staging a come-from-behind 6-7, 6-2, 10-8 victory over Pavlo Vysotin at No. 2 singles.

Matthew Earle, who transferred to Midwestern State from Washburn, fell to Antonin Leborne in straight sets at No. 6 singles, 6-4, 6-3.

Tomas Leguizamon made his MSU debut and was defeated 6-2, 7-6 by Hugo Alvarez Gonzalez at No. 5 singles.

Earle teamed up with Setti to win No. 2 doubles, 6-4, followed by Marquez and Cesar Llamas defeating Alvarez Gonzalez and Henriques, 6-2, to clinch the doubles point for the Mustangs.

Sanchez and Duque were upended at No. 1 doubles by Gage Foltz and Wijntjes, 6-3.

NEBRASKA KEARNEY (4-2)

Midwestern State won its seven previous encounters with the Lopers, but this is the first meeting since a 7-2 victory at MSU Tennis Center in 2017. The Mustangs are making their first visit to Kearney since an 8-1 triumph in 2007.

Nebraska Kearney opened its season by defeating MIAA rival Augustana, 5-2, winning the doubles point before clinching the match with a victory at No. 2 singles as No. 35-ranked Andy Brisdon outlasted Thomas Kano, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5), 6-0. Ivan Melnik breezed past Jose Velasco at No. 1 singles, 6-2, 6-0.

The Lopers followed up with a 7-0 win over McPherson College and a 5-2 triumph against Morningside (Iowa). Creighton and Pratt Community College defeated UNK, which posted a 6-1 win over Colorado Mesa last week. The Mavericks only point came with a victory at No. 3 singles, and the Lopers improved to 3-1 at home this season.

ROCKHURST (2-0)

Midwestern State is 4-2 in its all-time series against Rockhurst, including a 4-3 victory in Overland Park, Kansas, two years ago. Rockhurst won both encounters in Kansas City, and the Mustangs have three wins over the Hawks in Edmond, Oklahoma, where they played twice in 2004. Midwestern State won its first dual match against Rockhurst, 5-4, in April of 2003.

Rockhurst opened its campaign with a 4-3 win over Augustana, claiming four of the six matches in singles. The Hawks followed up with a 4-2 win over Emporia State, earning the doubles point before winning three of six singles matches.

Killian Guillou, a senior from France, was 32-17 as a singles player and 37-25 in doubles matches at Midwestern State before transferring to Rockhurst. He is 2-0 at No. 1 singles for the Hawks and won his only doubles match in the No. 1 position.

WASHBURN (3-2) 

Midwestern State is 7-5 in its all-time series with the Ichabods but lost the last encounter, 7-0, two years ago at Topeka. MSU is 3-2 when visiting Washburn.

Matthew Earle, who is now with the Mustangs, defeated Guillou at No. 4 singles, 6-3, 7-6 (3), in the most recent dual match between the two programs. Earle and Tim Hammes, ranked No. 1 in the nation at the time, needed a tiebreak to defeat Stephen Slocombe and Filip Vacula at No. 1 doubles, 7-6 (6).

In the 2025 dual match at Washburn, Bruno Sanchez was defeated by Vaclav Schneider at No. 2 singles, 6-1, 7-5, and Germano Setti lost a three-set match at No. 3 singles to Pavlos Parson, 6-3, 2-6, 3-6.

Washburn won its first three duals this season, including a 4-3 victory over No. 5-ranked Lubbock Christian at the ITA National Indoor Championship. The Ichabods suffered a 4-1 loss to No. 1-ranked Barry and a 4-1 loss to third-ranked Flagler in its other two matches at Indianapolis last week.

Parson is No. 8 in the ITA men's singles rankings but is 1-4 at No. 1 singles for Washburn. He has lost two matches to ranked opponents, including a 3-6, 7-5, 3-6 setback against No. 4-ranked Kelly Giese of Lubbock Christian.

Benjamin Fock and Yuto Miyagawa are singles players for Washburn that are also ranked in the top-40 by the ITA. 

Midwestern State travels to Tyler next week for dual matches against West Alabama, Auburn Montgomery and West Florida.  The Mustangs are not hosting a dual match until March 13, when Harding visits the MSU Tennis Center.