CHICAGO, Ill./ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Luther College men’s and women’s tennis teams fell in the opening round of the 2024 NCAA Division III Tennis Tournament. The men fell to Concordia (Texas) and the women fell to Kenyon. Both teams lost 5-1.
Men’s Recap Courtesy of Luther College Athletics
The men's tennis team traveled to the University of Chicago for the first round of the NCAA III National Tournament. Ranked No. 46, the Norse faced No. 47 Concordia University (Texas) this afternoon at the XS Tennis and Education Foundation and were defeated by a final of (5-1). All tournament matches are played to five points. The Tornadoes swept doubles and then posted two wins in singles to secure the victory and advance to the second round.
In doubles,
Max Loen and
Luke Westholder were defeated (8-4) at No. 1.
Joao Benvenutti and
Lev van Hemert were defeated (8-5) at No. 2, and
Ricky Portilla and
Louk Rijsdijk were defeated (8-3) at No. 3
Benvenutti posted Luther's lone point with a straight set victory at No. 2 singles. He defeated Adrian Munguia (6-2, 6-1).
Box Score
Women’s Recap Courtesy of Luther College Athletics
Luther ends its season with an overall record of 25-7. The Norse were making their fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA III National Tournament and 11th time in school history.
No. 19 Kenyon College defeated No. 48 Luther this afternoon by a final of 5-1 in a first round match of the NCAA III National Tournament. This match was played at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center, St. Louis, Mo. All tournament matches are played to five points. Kenyon took a 2-1 lead after doubles and needed three wins in singles to secure the victory.
Luther's lone point in doubles was provided by the duo of
Riley O'Donnell and
Abby Ostermann (8-7(7-1)) over Ana Brand and Lalasa Nagireddy at No. 3.
Box Score
Luther, who was making a fourth consecutive appearance in the national tournament and 18th in school history, completes its season with an overall record of 19-5.
About the American Rivers Conference
The Conference dates back to December 8, 1922, when representatives from 12 colleges got together and formed the "Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Association." Honoring its heritage in Iowa and its expansion outside the state, the American Rivers Conference brand was established on August 9, 2018, to build on the academic and athletic success provided by its legacy, the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The A-R-C has nine full-time members: Buena Vista University, Central College, Coe College, University of Dubuque, Loras College, Luther College, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Simpson College, and Wartburg College.
