MVC Round-up Vikings sweep net opener

Senior Jarrett Fujita and the Vikings picked up their first MAMVIC West victory of the season Saturday against No. 5 Johnson and Wales (Colo.). (Chris Allen/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

FULTON -- The Missouri Valley College men's and women's tennis teams began the spring campaign Saturday with a pair of 8-1 victories at Westminster.

The Lady Vikings (1-0) got an 8-3 win by senior Nicki Erickson of Marshall and freshman Elanqua Griffin -- the No. 1 under-18 player in the Bahamas -- at No. 1 doubles. Freshmen Davina Holtfreter and Tershelle Burrows took an 8-4 decision at No. 2 and juniors Lindsay Tworek and Sydne Parkhurst of Marshall claimed an 8-2 win at No. 3.

Griffin (6-0, 6-0), Erickson (6-0, 6-1), Burrows (6-1, 6-1), Holtfreter (6-3, 6-2) and Tworek (6-1, 6-2) had convincing straight-set victories in singles. The only win for the Lady Jays (0-4) was at No. 5, where freshman Caitlin Lamkin got by sophomore Shruti Bedi.

The Valley men claimed two of three doubles matches, with freshman Jason Rolle and sophomore Derek Gillilan coming out on top at No. 1, 8-2, and sophomore Diego Malaga and freshman Alvar Ribalta surviving a 9-8 (10-4) tiebreaker at No. 2.

Westminster (1-1) won at No. 3 doubles, freshmen David Berry and Justin Arnold nipping freshmen Alain Antoine and Daniel Rhoades, 9-8 (10-8).

Rolle (6-2, 6-2), Gillilan (6-4, 6-1), Ribalta (6-3, 6-7, 10-8), Malaga (6-2, 6-3), Antoine (6-0, 7-5) and sophomore Marko Vulovic (3-6, 7-5, 10-4) swept singles.

The Vikings didn't fare so well Wednesday during a 9-0 loss to Northwest Missouri State at the indoor courts in St. Joseph. The Bearcats (3-0), ranked 28th in NCAA Division II, won easily, 9-0.

The closest doubles match was at No. 3, where Valley's Antoine and Vulovic dropped an 8-5 contest against freshman Calvin Patterson and junior Tony Adeyemi. Rolle put up a good fight at No. 1 singles, losing a 7-5, 6-2 tilt to senior Daniel Usieto.

The Vikings will be in Hilton Head, S.C., next week for the Spring Break Classic, the women playing five matches and the men four.

Men's Golf

ROME, Ga. -- An even-par 72 on the first day of the Rome (Ga.) News-Tribune Invitational allowed Valley freshman Craig Gibson to open the spring men's golf season with a 16th-place finish in a field of 118.

The Vikings, ranked 21st in the preseason NAIA poll, placed 13th out of 21 teams with 615 points.

The meet was won by its host team, No. 8 Berry slipping by LaGrange (Ga.), 587 to 588 points. Cumberland (Tenn.) sophomore Dustin Thomas won by a stroke -- on the final putt -- with a three-under 141, scoring a tourney-best five-under 67 in the second round.

Gibson finished with a 148, sophomore Adam Novakowski shot 152 to share 38th place for Valley, followed by freshman Jordan Dickson (159), junior Tyler Kasubeck (161) and senior Matt Wood (165).

The Vikings will next be in action March 26-28 in the Evangel Invitational at Springfield.

Men's Volleyball

The Valley men's volleyball team split a MAMVIC West home doubleheader over the weekend against fifth-ranked Johnson and Wales (Colo.).

Senior Eric Kiel's nine kills and nine digs led the Wildcats (9-7, 3-3 MAMVIC West) to a 30-22, 30-23, 30-25 sweep in Friday's opener, but MVC came back to win Saturday, 30-28, 22-30, 30-28, 21-30, 15-12.

Freshman Andres Quinones' 11 spikes led No. 9 Graceland (10-5, 3-2) to a 30-25, 30-25, 30-23 league win over the Vikings during Tuesday's match at Lamoni, Iowa.

No statistics were available for Valley (5-17, 1-6), which is off until its March 23rd home contest with Missouri Baptist.