MOLINE, Ill. – In a match forced inside because of the unseasonably cold early-April temperatures, Augustana dropped its College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin men's tennis opener to Carthage by a score of 6-3 on Friday, April 6. The match was supposed to be held at the Lower Campus Courts on the Augustana campus but was moved to the Quad City Tennis Club in Moline, Illinois because the temperatures had dropped to the 30 degree mark.
 
The Vikings fell behind 3-0 after the doubles portion of the match and were never able to catch up. Seniors Eric Pohl (Fremd HS, Palatine, Ill.) and Samuel Totten (University HS, Normal, Ill.), the Augustana school record holders for career doubles victories as a team, fell to Herman Abban and Daniel Moore at number one by a score of 8-6. The number two team of junior Jack Morkin (University HS, Bloomington, Ill.) and freshman Peter Alex (Hinsdale South HS, Darien, Ill.) lost a tough 9-7 decision to Lukasz Jaworski and Fordy Leipold.
 
At number three doubles freshman Caio DeRezende (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and sophomore Scott Daluga (Libertyville HS, Libertyville, Ill.) lost 8-4 to John Nykyforuk and Matt Krzewinski.
 
Augustana needed to win five of the six singles matches to pull out the team victory but only managed a split. Alex defeated Jaworski 6-4; 7-6 at number three and Pohl beat Nykyforuk 6-3; 6-4 at number four. The other Viking victory came at number six where freshman Rodrigo Medeiros (Brazil) beat Oscar Irazoque 6-3; 6-2.
 
Totten fell to Abban 4-6; 6-7 at number one and DeRezende lost 4-6; 2-6 to Moore at number two. Morkin lost 7-6; 0-6; 3-6 at number five to Krzewinski.
 
Augustana fell to 9-8 overall and 0-1 in the CCIW with the loss while Carthage is now 6-9 and 1-1. The Vikings will host Carroll in a CCIW match on Sunday, April 8 at the Quad City Tennis Club at 1:00 p.m.