Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Men's Tennis team ended their four match losing skid in a big way Saturday as they edged Cal Lutheran University 6-3 at the Richard Ettinger Tennis Courts.

The win marks the first time the Purple & Gold have beaten the Kingsmen since 2014 when Whittier upset them 5-4 during the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championships.

Senior Andrew You (Arcadia, Calif.) led the Poets on the morning going 2-0 on the day.  He teamed up at No. 1 doubles with freshman Thomas Koszowski (Denver, CO) picking up the go ahead point following doubles winning 9-8 (5) beating Braaken and Kashani.

The other win came at No. 3 where junior transfers Elmer Van Butselaar (Veenendaal, Netherlands) and Hunter Kettering (Pleasanton, Calif.) dismissed Tufenkian and Wong 8-5.

Leading 2-1 going into singles, the Poets poured it on winning four of six matches.  You earned the third point winning quickly 6-4, 6-1 over Braaken.  Kettering followed suit at No. 4 picking up the fourth point 6-4, 6-2 over Haffner and Van Butselaar grabbed the clinching point at No. 3 edging Tilly with a break in each set 6-4, 6-3.

The final point came in a three set battle from Chris Palacio (El Centro, Calif.) at No. 5, the southpaw who put together lopsided sets to add insurance.  He took the first 6-0 quickly before falling 6-2 in the second but was able to rebound in the third winning 6-2.

Whittier could have had a seventh point but at No. 6 Maxwell Koszowski (Denver, CO) was unable to pull off the third set thriller falling 4-6, 6-3, 4-6.  

Whittier returns to action this Wednesday, March 8 as they look to build off this win as they host Haverford beginning at 3:00pm.