SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. – The LeTourneau men's tennis team concluded its most successful road trip of the season, which included the YellowJackets' first conference win at the University of the Ozarks on Friday.
The Jackets' 8-1 win over American Southwest Conference East Division foe Ozarks highlighted a trip a through Arkansas and Oklahoma that saw LeTourneau (5-7, 1-1 ASC East) win four consecutive team matches.
The YellowJackets concluded the trip with a win at NAIA opponent John Brown University, and also defeated Oklahoma Wesleyan and Kansas Wesleyan, to other NAIA programs.
In their match at Ozarks in Clarksville, Ark., the Jackets won all five doubles flight matches as well as the top five singles flight competitions.
Carlos Cantu (Brownsville, Texas/Hannah) needed a tiebreaker to take the first set against Ozarks' Jason Morgan in the No. 1 flight. Cantu prevailed in the tiebreaker 10-8 and went on to claim a 7-6 (10-8), 6-4 win over Morgan.
No. 2 singles player Uli De La Fuente (El Paso, Texas/Coronado) defeated Trevor Scott in identical 6-2 sets, while LeTourneau's Nos. 4 and 5 players, Josh Millet (Stephenville, Texas/Stephenville) and Ben Albers (Burkburnett, Texas/Burkburnett) claimed victories with identical 6-1, 6-1 wins over their Ozarks opponents.
Josh Bailey (Kilgore, Texas/Kilgore) had to make a comeback to win the No. 3 flight as he defeated Michael Skimbo 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Cantu and Albers won the No. 1 doubles match 9-7 over Morgan and Scott, and the pairing of DeLaFuente and Bailey won the No. 2 flight 8-5.
Former Allen High School teammates Kyle Lippe and Michael Vandegrifft claimed the No. 3 doubles match 8-5 for LeTourneau against Ozarks.
The Jackets were unstoppable in doubles competition during the three-day trip. LeTourneau teams went 11-0 over their opposing pairings. Lippe and Vandegrifft won all four of their doubles matchups, as did DeLaFuente and Bailey.
The doubles success proved to be especially important in Thursday's opening match at Oklahoma Wesleyan, as the Jackets won a narrow 5-4 decision thanks to sweeping the doubles competitions.
The trip concluded with a match at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Ark. on Saturday. The Jackets thoroughly dominated the match, winning 7-0. The YellowJackets swept all five singles matches that were contested, and only JBU's top two players would win as many as two games in any set.
The YellowJackets will hit the road again next weekend when they travel to Sherman, Texas for three matches in two days. The Jackets will face host Austin College as well as Division III Whitworth out of Spokane, Wash. and NAIA program the University of the Southwest.
LETU 7, John Brown 0
Singles competion
1. Carlos Cantu (LETU) def. Cameron McLendon (JBU) 6-1, 6-2
2. Ulrich DelaFuente (LETU) def. Eric Engstrom (JBU) 6-2, 6-0
3. Josh Bailey (LETU) def. Ethan Jones (JBU) 6-0, 6-1
4. Josh Millet (LETU) def. Carlin Toews (JBU) 6-0, 6-1
5. Ben Albers (LETU) def. Louis Mukolwe (JBU) 6-1, 6-1
6. Kyle Lippe (LETU) vs. Jordan Weeks (JBU) (no result)
Doubles competition
1. Carlos Cantu/Ben Albers (LETU) vs. Cameron McLendon/Eric Engstrom (JBU) (no result)
2. Ulrich DelaFuente/Josh Bailey (LETU) def. Ethan Jones/Carlin Toews (JBU) 8-2
3. Michael Vandegrifft/Kyle Lippe (LETU) def. Louis Mukolwe/Alvaro Lacayo (JBU) 8-2
LETU 8, Ozarks 1
Singles competition
1. Carlos Cantu (LETU) def. Jason Morgan (OZARKS) 7-6 (10-8), 6-4
2. Ulrich DelaFuente (LETU) def. Trevor Scott (OZARKS) 6-2, 6-2
3. Josh Bailey (LETU) def. Michael Skimbo (OZARKS) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
4. Josh Millet (LETU) def. Scott Eibes (OZARKS) 6-1, 6-1
5. Ben Albers (LETU) def. Tom Lowe (OZARKS) 6-1, 6-1
6. Tyler Wilson (OZARKS) def. Kyle Lippe (LETU) 6-0, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. Carlos Cantu/Ben Albers (LETU) def. Jason Morgan/Trevor Scott (OZARKS) 9-7
2. Ulrich DelaFuente/Josh Bailey (LETU) def. Tom Lowe/Scott Eibes (OZARKS) 8-5
3. Michael Vandegrifft/Kyle Lippe (LETU) def. Tanner Holman/Michael Skimbo (OZARKS) 8-5
LETU 5, Kansas Wesleyan 0
Singles competition
1. Alejandro Casanova (KWU) vs. Carlos Cantu (LETU) 4-6, (unfinished)
2. John Haynes (KWU) vs. Ulrich DelaFuente (LETU) 2-6, 1-1, (unfinished)
3. Josh Bailey (LETU) def. Adam Watson (KWU) 6-4, 6-3
4. Josh Millet (LETU) def. Luis Lopez (KWU) 6-0, 6-1
5. Taylor Eastman (KWU) vs. Ben Albers (LETU) 4-6, 1-4, (unfinished)
6. Kendal Barlow (KWU) vs. Kyle Lippe (LETU) 2-5, (unfinished)
Doubles competition
1. Carlos Cantu/Ben Albers (LETU) def. Alejandro Casanova/Luis Lopez (KWU) 8-1
2. Ulrich DelaFuente/Josh Bailey (LETU) def. Taylor Eastman/Adam Watson (KWU) 8-1
3. Michael Vandegrifft/Kyle Lippe (LETU) def. Kendal Barlow/John Haynes (KWU) 8-2
LETU 5, Oklahoma Wesleyan 4
Singles competition
1. Carlos Cantu (LETU) def. Daniel Nino (OKWU) 6-7 (1-7), 6-2, 10-5
2. David Aldana (OKWU) def. Ulrich DelaFuente (LETU) 1-6, 6-3, 10-5
3. Jemail Cheatham (OKWU) def. Josh Bailey (LETU) 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 10-7
4. Greg Wilson (OKWU) def. Josh Millet (LETU) 7-5, 6-4
5. Ben Albers (LETU) def. Jarrett Deathrage (OKWU) 6-0, 6-1
6. David Dunn (OKWU) def. Kyle Lippe (LETU) 6-3, 4-6, 11-9
Doubles competition
1. Carlos Cantu/Ben Albers (LETU) def. Jemail Cheatham/David Aldana (OKWU) 8-5
2. Ulrich DelaFuente/Josh Bailey (LETU) def. Daniel Nino/David Dunn (OKWU) 8-4
3. Michael Vandegrifft/Kyle Lippe (LETU) def. Joe Deathrage/Jarrett Deathrage (OKWU) 9-8 (7-5)
