Vikings fall to Grinnell in MWC championship match

MADISON, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s tennis team fell to Grinnell College 5-0 in the Midwest Conference Tournament championship match on Friday at Nielsen Tennis Stadium.

Lawrence, in search of its first conference championship since 1968, dropped all three doubles matches, and Grinnell closed out the victory with wins at Nos. 4 and 6 singles. Lawrence’s second-place finish in the conference is its best since taking second in 2003.

The Vikings earned a berth in the title match by beating Monmouth College 5-3 in the MWC Tournament semifinals on Friday morning. The Vikings trailed 2-1 after the doubles with Craig Sherwood and Brian DeCorte picking up the lone win for Lawrence.

Lawrence rebounded to win four of the six singles matches as the bottom half of the lineup dominated the Scots. Sherwood won 6-4, 6-0 at No. 4 and DeCorte was a 6-0, 6-4 winner at No. 5. Jeremy Andereck picked up a 6-0, 6-2 victory at No. 6 for Lawrence. Cooper Smith completed the singles victories for Lawrence with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory at No. 1.