IC Men's Tennis Conclude Season At 2024 MWC Tournament

MADISON, Wis. - The Illinois College men's tennis traveled and participated in the three-day 2024 Midwest Conference Men's Tennis Tournament hosted by Cornell College. The Blueboys seven six student-athletes to the tournament and competed in both doubles and singles matches. 

In the No. 1 double's match, the IC duo of Jeff Wernsing and Glenn Conway faced off against Caleb Sippel and Austin Stevens of Ripon College. Wernsing and Conway did not allow a set point from Ripon and blanked Sippel and Stevens to a 8-0 victory that advanced them to the semifinals match. IC's Wernsing and Conway faced off against Lucas Willett and Aiden Klass but dropped the set by the score of 1-8.

The No. 2 double's team of Grayson Dupre and Andrus Dupre challenged Ty Rondestvedt and Jaden Francis of Ripon. The Dupre twins earned one set victory off of Rondestvedt and Francis and dropped the match by the score of 1-8.  

The No. 3 double's match included IC's Allen Oakley and Antonio Loaiza and Owen Horton and Rahul Sabnis and the IC team dropped this match by the score of 2-8. 

The Blueboys also competed in the single's portion of the tournament. In the quarterfinal match, Wernsing faced off against Andrew Larson of Lawrence and captured one set in each set but dropped the match that pushed him to the consolation match. In the consolation match, Wernsing was matched up against Sawyer Day of Monmouth. In this match, both student-athletes went point-for-point but Wernsing took charge late and won the match by the score of 8-6 that advanced him to the consolation finals match. In the consolation finals match, Wernsing was dealt a tough task against Caleb Sippel of Ripon. Wernsing battled Sippel but dropped the match.  

In the No. 2 singles match, IC's Conway faced off against Austin Stevens of Ripon College in quarterfinal match. Conway and Stevens battled back-and-forth as Conway won the first set by the score of 7-5. In the second set, Conway and Stevens went point-for-point as Conway took the match with a 7-5 victory that advanced him to the semifinals match. In the semifinal match, Conway faced off against Lucas Willett of Grinnell. In this match, Conway fought hard but dropped the match.

In the No. 3 singles match, Grayson Dupre was matched up against Owen Horton of Lawrence University. In the opening set, Dupre and Horton displayed their skills to a back-and-forth match as both student-athletes forced a tiebreaker set. In the tiebreaker set, Horton got the upper hand with a 7-3 victory. The second set went point-for-point as Dupre dropped a nail-biter by the final score of 5-7.   

In the consolation finals match, Dupre battled across the net from Ty Rondestvedt and dropped this match by the final score of 6-8. 

Andrus Dupre competed in the No. 4 singles match for IC as he battled his opponent in Cole Witucki. In the opening set, Dupre got down early but rallied back to a 4-6 defeat. However, Dupre responded in the second set with a dominate 6-2 victory that forced a third set. In the third set, both student-athletes went point-for-point as Dupre took the match by the score of 6-4 that advanced him to the semifinals match. 

In the semifinals match, A. Dupre was matched up against Albert Bostoen of Grinnell College. In this match, Dupre has his hands full as he dropped this match in straight sets that pushed him to the consolation match. 

In the No. 5 singles match, IC's Oakley faced off against Ethan Uribe of Lawrence and dropped the match in straight sets. In the consolation match, Oakley competed against Nehemiah Declaw of Monmouth and won the match in straight sets by the score of 8-0. 

The No. 6 singles quarterfinals match was played by IC's Momir Vickovic and Edwin Holyoake as Vickovic dropped the match in straight sets that moved him to the consolation side. In the consolation match against Kyle Pelzek of Ripon, Vickovic responded with a 8-4 victory. 

With the completion of this tournament, the IC men's tennis team have officially ended the 2023-24 season.