ANDERSON, Ind. – Both Otterbein tennis programs swept their way across a modified spring break trip in The Hoosier State this week, going 2-0 against the likes of Franklin College and Anderson University in consecutive matchups.

The Cardinals began with a restructured showdown at Franklin on Tuesday due to weather, as the women were able to sneak their match in before the men had to pause (leading 3-1) due to slick surfaces.

Both teams then made the hour trip north to play Anderson on Wednesday, as the men emerged 8-1 and the women posted another shutout. The men's group then returned to finish their match at Franklin, churning out a 5-2 decision.

HIGHLIGHTS vs. FRANKLIN:

Otterbein dominated on the women's side by losing just seven combined games across the nine courts, with four ending in perfect sweeps. Playing D1 rules with doubles as one point, the Cardinals would emerge 7-0 in making quick work of the Grizzlies.

The men's contest was a bit more complex given the two-day separation and changing back and forth between sites and opponents. Otterbein dug deep to claim the lone doubles point by taking two of three courts, but very little came easy…

Max Fickas and Neil Reedy won via tiebreaker, as did Franklin on the third line. The difference came in the middle from Joshua Mammen and Jake Chilcote, who teamed for a 6-3 victory.

Otterbein then took the top-three courts in singles play and also won the fifth after Nikita Kitaev grinded for a 7-5 triumph in the second set. Atop the board, Fickas and Mammen won handily while Chilcote stormed back from a first-set loss to steal his showdown in a winner-take-all frame.

HIGHLIGHTS VS. ANDERSON:

Otterbein corralled early momentum once again and never let it go, winning all doubles courts by either an 8-1 or 8-2 final. Erin Storrer, Lillia Walter and Olivia Eckels all then won behind perfect 6-0, 6-0 counts in their individual contests.

Cassady Shough and Taryn Simmers needed a few extra games to complete their sweeps while Rachelle Moses had to play the longest, emerging 7-4 in a first-set breaker before using that steam for a more comfortable win (6-2) in the second.

On the men's courts, Will Newberry and Dylan Shook cruised 8-0 as did the Mammen/Chilcote tandem in doubles play. Fickas and Reddy came up short to the Eagles best duo on the top line, 8-3.

But all Cardinals responded to soar in singles play, running the board on all six courts to pull away despite some absolute battles. Chilcote (3) and Reddy (4) escaped in matches that saw multiple breakers, as did Fickas (1) atop the lineup after a first-set breaker and then workmanlike 6-3 decision…

Mammen fought and scraped to a 7-5, 7-5 showing while Kitaev (5) and Nate Stevens (6) had more comfortable journeys on their lines.

UP NEXT:

Both squads will now have roughly 10 days to regroup over a return to campus and classes, eventually hosting Cedarville come next Saturday morning (3/16).