RIPON, Wis. -- The Ripon Red Hawks opened the men's tennis season with a convincing 7-0 victory over the Elmhurst University Bluejays (0-1) this Saturday, Jan 31. Senior Caleb Sippel (Appleton, Wis., Appleton North HS) led the Red Hawks at one singles and one doubles, dropping just a single game across both matches. 

The Red Hawks earned an immediate advantage for the match, with Elmhurst defaulting at three doubles, five singles and six singles before the matches began. Opening doubles up a match, the Red Hawks took care of business, with Sippel and partner Austin Stevens (Mukwonago, Wis., Mukwonago HS) blanking the Bluejays to earn the doubles point. Despite a hiccup at two doubles, the Red Hawks would open singles with momentum, and earn the first sets at all flights but four singles. 

Sophomore Kyle Flook (Sheboygan, Wis., Sheboygan South HS), playing at the four spot, would face difficulty early on, but commit to consistency and strong serve +1 production to swing the second set in his favor. Leveled at a set a piece, Flook would win clutch points down the stretch in the ten point super tiebreak, taking the match 10-8 in the third. 

Stevens also saw close competition, competing at the two spot. Finding crucial passing shots against a consistently approaching opponent, Stevens came away with a 7-5 6-4 win to start his season off. Straight set affairs at one and three singles would conclude proceedings in favor of the Red Hawks, giving the home team a 7-0 win. 

The Red Hawks return to action next Saturday, Feb 7, taking on St. Norbert in De Pere. The Green Knights enter the match 0-2 this spring and 0-3 overall, coming off a 0-7 loss to Division II opponent Michigan Tech.