Related Links:
Cardinal Stritch Box Score
Northern Illinois Box Score
 
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's tennis team faced a pair of scholarship schools Saturday to open the 2017 spring season at Boylan Tennis Center in Rockford, Ill.
 
The Warhawks (0-2 overall) were edged 6-3 against NAIA opponent Cardinal Stritch to open the day before falling 7-0 against Division I Northern Illinois to wrap up the day.
 
Against Cardinal Stritch (1-1), UW-Whitewater jumped out to a 2-1 advantage thanks to doubles victories at its top two positions.
 
Junior Grant Thompson (Hawthorn Woods, Ill./Lake Zurich) and sophomore Jimmy Engelhart (Brookfield, Wis./East) combined for an 8-6 triumph at the No. 1 spot over Fabio Perasso and Raymond Weich. Sophomore Rory Calabria (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) and freshman Zach Wood (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove) followed suit at the second position, posting an 8-5 win over William East and Gian Pico.
 
The Warhawks took four singles contests to three sets against the Wolves, but Wood's 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-4 victory at No. 6 represented the team's lone singles point. Thompson, Engelhart and junior Matt Zurowski (West Bend, Wis./East) all won second sets in their matches before being outlasted in three at the Nos. 1, 3 and 5 slots, respectively.
 
In the match against Northern Illinois (6-2), UW-Whitewater was competitive in doubles, but the Huskies claimed the doubles point, which is claimed by winning at least two of three doubles matches in Division I duals.
 
NIU went on to claim all six singles matches.
 
The Warhawks host Wooster (Ohio) and Elmhurst (Ill.) in matches next Saturday, Feb. 11, at Premier Tennis and Fitness in Janesville. Play begins with Wooster at 9 a.m. and concludes at 4 p.m. against Elmhurst.