Coach Jon Miedema took his Augustana men's tennis team back to his old stomping grounds of Michigan Saturday, February 17 and came away with a split decision. Miedema, a graduate of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was successful against his alma mater but his Vikings lost to 25^th ranked Kalamazoo in the first match of the day.
 
Kalamzoo, which won 74 consecutive Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships from 1936 to 2012, defeated Augustana 8-1 in the opening match. However, the Vikings bounced back and made the ride home a bit sweeter with a 5-4 win over Calvin with senior Samuel Totten (University HS, Normal, Ill.) securing the win with a triumph at number one singles.
 
With the win over Calvin, Miedema's charges are now 4-4 on the season and will be in action again on Sunday, February 25 against Hanover in Orlando, Florida.
 
KALAMAZOO 8, AUGUSTANA 1
 
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Miedema's third doubles unit picked up Augustana's lone win against the Hornets at Markin Center. Freshmen Caio DeRezende (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Rodrigo Medeiros (Brazil) scored a 9-7 victory over Zack Ray and Alex Cadigan. Kalamazoo's Daniel Henry and Tytus Metzler downed seniors Samuel Totten (University HS, Normal, Ill.) and Eric Pohl (Fremd HS, Palatine, Ill.) 8-2 at number one and Allen Vinson and Ricardo DeOlmo-Parrardo were 8-4 winners over junior Jack Morkin (University HS, Bloomington, Ill.) and freshman Peter Alex (Hinsdale South HS, Darien, Ill.) at second doubles.
 
DeRezende extended Henry to three sets before falling 6-2, 4-6, 10-4 at first singles. Metzler downed Totten three and two at number two and Vinson was a 6-4, 6-3 winner over Alex at number three.
 
At fourth singles, Pohl, who was seeing his first action of the season, fell 6-2, 6-1 to DeOlmo-Parrardo. Ray beat Morkin 6-4, 6-2 at number five and freshman Tom Friberg (Lund, Sweden) suffered a 6-1, 6-2 setback to Henry Fuchs at number six.
 
AUGUSTANA 5, CALVIN 4
 
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Vikings recovered from the loss to Kalamazoo with a hard-fought, come-from-behind win over Calvin by a score of 5-4. Senior Samuel Totten (University HS, Normal, Ill.) clinched the match with a pulsating 4-6; 7-6; 6-3 win over Rodrigo Guzman at number one singles.
 
Totten, who is now 6-4 on the season in singles, also had a part in Augustana's lone doubles point when he teamed with fellow senior Eric Pohl (Fremd HS, Palatine, Ill.) for an 8-4 win over Matt VanWinkle and Jason Walters at number one.
 
The Vikings fell behind 2-1 after doubles as the freshman duo of Caio DeRezende (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Rodrigo Medeiros (Brazil) lost 8-4 to Guzman and David Brown at number two and junior Jack Morkin (University HS, Bloomington, Ill.) and sophomore Scott Daluga (Libertyville HS, Libertyville, Ill.) fell 9-8 to Jose Larrea and Charlie Fahr at number three.
 
Trailing 2-1 heading into singles, DeRezende quickly tied things up with a 6-3; 6-3 win over VanWinkle at number two.
 
Jose Larrea put Calvin back on top with a 6-3; 6-1 win over Morkin at number four to make it 3-2 in favor of the Knights. Pohl, seeing his first action since the fall, toughed out a 7-5; 1-6; 6-2 victory over Brown at number three to square the match at 3-3.
 
Fahr put Calvin ahead once again with a 7-6; 6-1 win over junior Alex Riddle (York HS, Elmhurst, Ill.) at number six so with two matches still on the courts the Vikings trailed 4-3. Freshman Guilherme Calixto (Presidente Prudente, Brazil) defeated Jason Walters 6-3; 6-2 at number five to tie things at 4-4 and set up Totten's heroics at number one.