MOLINE, Ill. – Sophomore Samuel Totten (Normal University HS, Normal, Ill.) made sure that the Augustana men's tennis opener on Saturday, January 30 against Wabash was a success. Totten won a tough three-set match against the Little Giants' Michael Makio to give his Vikings a 5-4 win in a tense match played at the Quad City Tennis Club in Moline, Illinois.
 
After beating Wabash in the first match of the afternoon, Augustana rolled past Monmouth by a score of 8-1 in the nightcap to open the 2016 dual meet season with a 2-0 record. The Vikings will host the University of Chicago, a top contender for the NCAA Division III national title, on Sunday, January 31 at the Quad City Tennis Club.
 
AUGUSTANA 5, WABASH 4
 
Totten provided the clinching point in this thriller as he defeated Makio 6-3; 6-7; 10-5 at number one singles. The match was deadlocked at 4-4 and Totten and Makio were the only players left on the court.
 
Augustana took a 2-1 lead after doubles play with wins at numbers two and three. The number two team of freshman Jack Morkin (University HS, Bloomington, Ill.) and freshman Carl Christensen (Hoellviken, Sweden) defeated Kirill Ivashchenko and Mazin Hakim 8-4. The Vikings also got a win at number three when seniors Austin Schoeck (Rock Island Alleman Catholic HS, Rock Island, Ill.) and Patrick Lenz (Villanova Prep, Ojai, Calif.) combined to beat Nicholas Pollock and George Go III 8-4.
 
The Vikings number one team of Totten and fellow sophomore Eric Pohl (Fremd HS, Palatine, Ill.) dropped an 8-4 decision to Makio and Jordan Greenwell.
 
Christensen beat Pollock 6-4; 6-1 at number four and Morkin took care of Hakim 6-2; 6-1 at number five to account for the other singles victories for head coach Jon Miedema's team.
 
Pohl dropped a 4-6; 6-7 decision to Greenwell at number two and Lenz fell to Ivashchenko 2-6; 4-6 at number three. Junior Jonathon Elsey (York HS, Elmhurst, Ill.) fell to Nathan Neal at number six singles 2-6; 4-6.
 
AUGUSTANA 8, MONMOUTH 1
 
After the heart-pounding win over Wabash, the Vikings showed no letdown in their second match of the day and pounded Monmouth 8-1.
 
Once again Augustana jumped out to an 8-1 lead after doubles action. Totten and Pohl beat Landon Walker and Marco Franco 8-0 at number one while Morkin and Christensen defeated Saxon Day and Paulo Pliego 8-3 at number two.
 
The Vikings number three team of Lenz and junior Nicholas Prabhakar (Rockford Lutheran HS, Belvidere, Ill.) dropped an 8-4 decision to Dylan Wong and Ronnie Griffin to account for the only Scots' point of the match.
 
Totten defeated Walker 6-1; 6-1 at number one while Pohl had to go three sets with Wong at number two before finally winning 6-2; 6-7; 10-8. Lenz defeated Day 6-4; 6-4 at number three while Christensen also had a three-set match at number four, beating Franco 5-7; 7-5; 10-8.
 
Morkin went three sets with Pliego in a 6-3; 4-6; 10-5 victory at number five and senior John Alexander (Rockford Guilford HS, Loves Park, Ill.) beat Cole Pyatt 6-3; 7-5 at number six.