Wabash Tennis traveled to the iconic Thrush Courts on Tuesday evening for a TRC matchup with the Peru Tigers.
In doubles play, Peru controlled both courts. At No. 1 doubles, Wabash’s McKenzie and Tracy ran into a buzzsaw in Boswell and Musser. Playing an aggressive, attacking style and dominating the net, the Peru duo cruised to a 6-0, 6-1 win. At No. 2 doubles, Noah White and Carter Pegg showed improvement as the match went on, but Peru’s Schwartz and Masser were steady from start to finish, securing a 6-0, 6-0 result.
At No. 3 singles, Wabash senior Dylan Pence battled Peru senior K. Schwartz in a match filled with extended rallies and long deuce games. Ultimately, Schwartz edged out the key points to earn a 6-0, 6-1 win.
At No. 2 singles, Cooper Long squared off with talented freshman Riley Astercup. Long played his trademark physical style, hitting with pace and driving the ball flat to the corners. But Astercup’s quick movement and precise placement proved decisive as he took the match 6-0, 6-2.
The highlight of the night came at No. 1 singles, where Wabash senior Eli Mattern faced Peru senior Jacob Boswell. Mattern came out strong, dictating play with aggressive shot-making to build an early 3-0 lead. Boswell steadied himself, mixing pace and forcing longer exchanges to level the set at 6-6. In a tense tiebreaker, Boswell edged Mattern 7-5 to claim the opener. The second set was again competitive, but Boswell earned an early 3-0 cushion and closed out the match 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 to secure the Tigers’ sweep.
Coach Mattern reflected:
“I was happy to see us compete so hard against some very good tennis players. Peru seldom gets ruffled or loses composure. They’re the measuring stick of the conference, and they always get everyone’s best shot. Cooper and Eli played some of their best tennis of the season, and I’m very proud of their effort and growth. Both young men rose to the occasion, and I’m confident more great things are coming as they finish their senior campaign.”
In junior varsity action, Reed Wiles and Eli Dafoe represented the Apaches.
In their third match of the week, the Wabash Apaches traveled north to face Manchester in a TRC matchup. The Squires played hard at the three positions they were able to field, but the Apaches ultimately earned a 5-0 victory over the shorthanded squad.
Manchester was forced to forfeit No. 2 doubles (awarded to Noah White and Eli Dafoe) as well as No. 3 singles (awarded to Dylan Pence), giving Wabash an early advantage.
The first match to finish on court was No. 1 doubles, where Karson McKenzie and TJ Tracy secured the Apaches’ third point. Playing steady and patient, the duo controlled the rallies and closed out a 6-1, 6-2 win.
At No. 2 singles, Cooper Long battled Manchester’s Mugford in a hard-hitting contest. Both players relied on powerful flat groundstrokes to pressure their opponent into errors. After a tight start, Long led 3-2 in the opening set before raising his level, improving his movement, and limiting mistakes. He dropped only two more games the rest of the way, earning a 6-3, 6-1 victory.
Rounding out the sweep, senior Eli Mattern added to his season win total with a 6-4, 6-1 triumph over Caleb Struble-Hedstrom at No. 1 singles. Mattern built an early 3-0 lead in the first set before Struble-Hedstrom fought back with a service break to make things interesting. Mattern steadied himself to close out the set 6-4, then carried the momentum into a commanding second set to seal the win.
