The Simpson men’s tennis team faced Luther last Friday afternoon here in Indianola. Prior to the match, Head Coach Bob Nutgrass expressed the need to come out strong against Luther.

“Luther is favored to end up second or third in the conference, and they’re going to be a very tough team to beat. We have been working on our serving a lot, and getting to the net is going to be key for us in doubles play,” said Nutgrass.

“In singles, we need to develop some consistency, and work on finishing points and hitting winners.”

Unfortunately, the Luther men proved to be as tough as Nutgrass predicted and the Simpson men fell, 7-0. After this loss, the Storm has a record of 5-5 overall, and a 4-3 record in the conference.

This contest was the first for the Storm since March 22-23, when they faced Wartburg, Dubuque, and Loras. Simpson went 3-0 over those two days, defeating Wartburg 4-3, Dubuque 6-1, and Loras 5-2. “We are about midway through our season,” said Coach Nutgrass. “Our next five matches will be a test for us. We face Buena Vista (April 9 and 19), Central (April 16), Dubuque (April 20), and Wartburg (April 20).”

The season will wrap up for the Storm men with the IIAC team tournament on April 26-27 at Loras. Following the team tournament, Loras will host the IIAC Individual/Doubles Tournament on May 3-4.