The Beaver tennis team left campus on Saturday, March 11 with the ultimate destination of Phoenix, AZ. The first stop was in Liberal, KS for the team’s first conference matchup of the season against Seward County. The Beaver men’s team knocked off the defending national champions 6-3. On the women’s side the team fought hard but were defeated 9-0.  

“The team came prepared to battle and adjusted well to the elements,” said Head Tennis Coach Jeret Johnson. 

After arriving in Phoenix, AZ the night before the Beavers were set to battle the Mesa T-Birds on the morning of March 13. The men won 7-2 and the women won 6-1. That afternoon, the team traveled across town to face the Paradise Valley Pumas. The guys won every match, sweeping the Pumas 9-0. On the girls’ side the team faced Eastern Arizona at the Puma Tennis Center and won the match 6-3.  

The following day, March 14 the men faced off against Ottawa University (AZ) at the Surprise Tennis Center. The guys lost a tough match 5-2 after sweeping all three doubles matches. Later that afternoon, the team faced off against Mesa a second time with different lineups. The guys won 6-3 while the girls won 7-0.  

After finishing their match against Mesa, the team traveled to Flagstaff, AZ to face the Lumberjacks of Northern Arizona. On a cold and rainy day, the men faced off against the #68 ranked and two-time Big Sky conference champions in the Indoor Swimming and Tennis Complex. The Beavers dropped the match 7-0.  

“We got a lot of much needed match experience and are coming back to campus with a lot of confidence for the rest of the season,” said Coach Johnson.  

The Beavers will host Bethany College on March 22 starting 1:30 at the Walter P. Blake Tennis Center.