Chippewa Valley Times

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's tennis team hosted a pair of nonconference matches against Carleton College and Luther College on Saturday. Despite the home advantage, the Blugolds were defeated by both teams with scores of 7-0 in each match.

Ethan Wurtzel and Juan Gallego provided a bright spot for the Blugolds, securing victories at No. 1 doubles in both encounters. They overcame Carleton's top pairing with a score of 6-2 and narrowly edged out Luther's team 7-6, winning the tiebreaker 7-1.

Pablo Rincon put up a strong fight at No. 2 singles against Carleton but was ultimately defeated with set scores of 6-4 and 6-2. Freshman Billy Hughes also displayed resilience during his No. 4 singles match against Carleton, leading the first set 5-0 before losing it in a tiebreaker and eventually falling 7-5 and 6-1.

Looking ahead, the Blugolds will have a break before their Spring Break trip in March. Their next match is scheduled against Vassar College in Orlando, Florida, which is ranked No. 34. Specific start times for these matches will be announced in March.

For ongoing updates throughout the season, fans can follow the Blugolds on their official website or through their app, Blugold Sports, as well as on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.