The UIS men's tennis team dropped a narrow 4-3 decision in its GLVC opener against McKendree on Friday afternoon.

The Prairie Stars started strong in doubles, earning the point to take the early lead. Pablo Herrera and Lin En Tan rolled to a 6-0 win at No. 1 doubles. Lukas Pieringer and Antonio Ayerbe Streubel followed with a 6-4 victory at No. 3 doubles. At No. 2 doubles, Kai Van-Roon and Luke Pennington fell 6-4.

Singles play featured several tight battles, but UIS came up just short in the final outcome. Pablo Herrera pushed a thriller at No. 1 singles before falling 2-6, 7-5, 7-6. Antonio Ayerbe Streubel dropped his match at No. 2, 6-1, 6-1. Lin En Tan picked up a win at No. 3, 7-6, 6-3. Kai Van-Roon also earned a three-set victory at No. 4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Luke Pennington fell at No. 5, 6-1, 6-0, and Lukas Pieringer dropped his match at No. 6, 6-3, 6-2.

"I am extremely proud of how we competed," said head coach Henrique Leal. "We came into this match believing in each other and playing together. We brought great energy in doubles, which gave us the confidence that we could win it. Great wins by Lin En and Kai. The match could not have been closer, as we had match points to close it out. Unfortunately, it went McKendree's way. I believe this match—along with our season as a whole—shows that we can compete with any team in the conference, and I'm looking forward to the last three matches."

Up Next
UIS continues conference play on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. ET against UIndy.