The men’s tennis team traveled to Michigan last weekend for a trio of matches that would be the team’s biggest challenge so far this season.

The Warhawks defeated the Hope College Flying Dutch and Kalamazoo College Hornets, but fell to the Case Western University Spartans.

The ’Hawks beat the Flying Dutch, 9-0, but faced a grueling double-header Saturday afternoon.     The team was on the court for more than four hours in its first-ever win over the powerhouse Hornets and then played the Spartans immediately after.

The men won, 5-4, against the Hornets, but did not have enough left in the tank to win all three, losing 5-4  against the Spartans.

“I’m never happy with a loss,” Barnes said.  “I’m disappointed we didn’t win them all, but to go on the road and play that many good teams that were that close together shows how gritty we are.”

Freshman Ethan Niquet dominated against the Hornets in the fifth singles spot, going 5-0 to improve his overall record to 14-2. Sophomore Andrew Bayliss moved to 9-1 on the year at the two spot, moving to 14-4 on the season.

In doubles play, junior Mitch Osborne and freshman Byron Balkin recorded a win, staying undefeated on the year (10-0).

The scrappy ’Hawks are composed almost entirely of underclassmen. Nine of the 14 players are either freshmen or sophomores, and only one player is a senior.  The team also has three transfer students on its roster.

The team is ranked No. 23 in the International Tennis Association poll.

The ’Hawks won seven of their nine doubles matches last weekend to take early leads in every match.

The team is now at the midpoint of its season and the road to the NCAA tournament will only get tougher.

The team is building an impressive résumé to qualify for post-season play, but must cope with the pressure that comes with playing at such a high level.

“I’m not worried about us crumbling,” Barnes said. “I think we will thrive on it because we have been expected to do well in the past and haven’t disappointed.”