MEADVILLE, Pa. -- Overcast skies didn't put a damper on the Allegheny College men's tennis team on Tuesday, as the Gators blanked visiting Houghton University in their first dual match of the fall season.

It marks the second consecutive in which the Gators (1-0) swept the Highlanders (0-1), who reached the Empire 8 Conference championship match a year ago. 

Anton Hedlund (Hovas, Sweden/Katrinelundsgymnasiet) and Ethan Carr (King of Prussia, Pa./Harriton) started off doubles action by winning their match at the No. 1 position over Jaimie Staerkle and Marcelo Garcia without surrendering a point. The most competitive doubles match came at the No. 2 spot, where Adam Shinomiya (Portland, Ore./International School of Beaverton) and Evan Nelson (Scituate, Mass. /Scituate) outlasted Matthew Cicero and Nolan Zach, 8-5.

Hedlund, who spent his freshman season atop the singles lineup, went on to defeat Staerkle in a decisive 6-0, 6-2 match. Carr squared off against Cicero in the second spot and prevailed, 6-0, 6-4.

Houghton's Graham Cook gave Julien Voisey (Tokyo, Japan/ES International School) a run for his money in the No. 6 singles match. Although Voisey took the first set with relative ease (6-2), the pair needed a seven-point tiebreaker to decide the second set, which was won by the Allegheny junior, 8-6.

Doubles Results

1. Anton Hedlund / Ethan Carr def. Jaimie Staerkle / Marcelo Garcia, 8-0
2. Adam Shinomiya / Evan Nelson def. Matthew Cicero / Nolan Zach, 8-5
3. Will Jarvie / Nathan Kisiel def. Adam Brown / Graham Cook, 8-2

Singles Results

1. Anton Hedlund def. Jaimie Staerkle, 6-0, 6-2
2. Ethan Carr def. Matthew Cicero, 6-0, 6-4
3. Will Jarvie def. Marcelo Garcia, 6-0, 6-1
4. Evan Nelson def. Adam Brown, 6-0, 6-4
5. Nathan Kisiel def. Nolan Zach, 6-2, 6-1
6. Julien Voisey def. Graham Cook, 6-2, 7-6 (6)

News and Notes

• Allegheny improved to 1-0 with a win in its first dual match of the 2022-23 season.
• In the all-time series against Houghton, the Gators are now 4-0.
• Including his matches from the Allegheny Invitational, Hedlund has already improved to 3-0.
• After ending 2021-22 on a five-match win streak, Hedlund has won eight consecutive singles matches.

Up Next
Next on the docket for the Allegheny men's tennis program is a trip to Washington University in St. Louis for the 2022 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Regional Championships. The three-day regional tournament begins on Friday, September 23.