Written by David Youngs
SAINT PETER, Minn. – On one of the windiest days of the year, the Gustie men weathered the storm inside Swanson Tennis Center on Friday night with an 8-1 win over non-conference opponent Grinnell.
The Gusties hit the ground running by taking two of three doubles matches. The nationally-ranked tandem of Nick Aney (Sr., Rochester) and Alex Budde (Jr., Menomonee Falls, Wis.) notched an 8-4 win at the top doubles spot to kick off the evening. Friday’s victory was the first of the season for Aney and Budde, who qualified for last year’s ITA Cup and are currently ranked No. 11 in the nation for NCAA Division III doubles teams.
Hometown talent Drew Elofson (Sr., Saint Peter) paired up with Josh Christensen (Fy., Rochester) and rolled to an 8-2 victory at the No. 3 spot to secure the second doubles win for the Gusties. Elofson and Christensen are now 2-0 on the young season.
Gustavus took the momentum into singles, sweeping all six matches in a wide variety of fashions.
First-years Rafael Costa (Fy., Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Marco Siviero (Fy., Sao Miguel de Oeste, Brazil) punched their first home singles wins for the Gusties. Costa used his big serve and heavy forehand to roll to a 6-2, 6-0 win at No. 6 singles while Siveiero wore down his opponent from the baseline en route to a 6-3, 6-0 win at No. 5 singles.
And while the No. 4-6 spots in the singles lineup rolled, the top three trio of Indraneel Raut (Sr., Oshkosh Wis.), Aney, and Daniel Fouchier (Nootdorp, Netherlands) gutted out big-time points to win competitive matches.
Fouchier knotted his first win of the season by edging out his opponent 12-10 in a third set super-tiebreaker at the No. 3 spot. Aney followed suit by serving and volleying his way to a 7-5, 6-4 win at No. 2 singles.
Raut cruised to a 6-1 first set victory at the singles spot. After dropping an early service break in the second set, the senior beared down on his returns to break back and win the set 7-5.
“The energy in the bubble tonight was electric,” Raut said following his win. “The fan support was great and it was awesome to get a win over a high-quality opponent early in the season.”
Coaches Corner
Head coach Tommy Valentini was impressed with the wide array of strengths that the Gusties showed on Friday night.
“The guys competed very well tonight. Grinnell played a good match against us and it was nice to see our group trust each other and our approach early in the season,” said Head Coach Tommy Valentini. “Joshy and Drew got us out to a great start at No. 3 doubles and Nick and Alex played solidly to get us the lead. From there, our depth in the bottom half of the lineup was able to make a big impact for us and it was great to see our experienced guys lead the way with poise and trust at 1-3.”
With the conference opener on the horizon, Valentini looks forward to the opportunity for his team to capitalize on its successes and improve moving forward.
“We have a lot of growing to do, but we’re thankful for the result and what we learned tonight. We look forward to the opportunity for more of our guys to compete tomorrow.”
Did you know?
Gustavus is now 12-0 in program history against the Pioneers. The Gusties’ last victory over Grinnell was a 9-0 shutout in 2020, featuring singles wins from Raut, Aney, and Fouchier.
What’s Next
The Gusties will continue their weekend campaign on Saturday in St. Peter against a pair of opponents. Gustavus will kick off conference play against Bethel (2-0, 0-0 MIAC) at 10 a.m. and finish the day with a nightcap against non-conference opponent Augustana (0-2) . The Gusties defeated both teams in 2021 by respective scores of 9-0 and 7-0.