Northwest Wayne News

The Wayne State University men's tennis team is set to start the spring segment of its 2024-25 season with an exhibition match against Lawrence Tech University. The event will take place on Sunday, February 2, at 3:00 PM at the Doris J. & Donald L. Duchene, Sr. Athletic Facility.

This match marks the second consecutive year that Wayne State will open its spring schedule against Lawrence Tech. Last year's encounter saw the Warriors secure a 7-0 victory. The teams also met in the fall during the Mike Kneale Memorial Tournament hosted by WSU, where Wayne State won two out of three matches.

Griffin Mertz, a former student-athlete from Wayne State, leads Lawrence Tech as head coach and is in his third full season after serving as interim in spring 2022.

In last year's match-up with Lawrence Tech, Wayne State's returning players Cedric Drenth and Benjamin Hill achieved a combined 4-0 record in singles and doubles competitions. Drenth claimed a win in #2 singles with scores of 6-4, 6-2 and partnered with Daniel Grey for a doubles victory at 6-1. Hill triumphed in #5 singles with scores of 6-2, 6-3 and secured a doubles win alongside Joe Steele at 6-3.

During the fall competition, Tom Wasner and Sam Knowles defeated their opponents Juan Escriba Pastor and Carlos Patricio with an 8-4 scoreline. Max Faniel and Cole Anderson split their matches against the Blue Devils, securing a win over Escriba Pastor and Patricio at 9-8 but losing to Takuya King and Rafael Mendes at 8-6. This marked Anderson's first collegiate victory.