After a good start at the NJCAA national tennis tournament, which ended Saturday, at Collin County Community College Meridian fell to 13th place. 

    The first day of the tournament was played without defending national champs Collin, Tyler, and Laredo making an appearance as they had byes. The round of 16 with these teams coming into the draw put a damper on several team’s first-day places. 

    After a win at No. 1 singles on Monday, MCC’s Matic Leskovar won a second-round match against Harford’s Felipe Dos Santos 6-2, 6-4. He advanced to the quarterfinals where he lost to the top seed, a former Junior Wimbledon player, Alex Sanders (Collin County) 6-0, 7-6 (2). 

    At No. 2 singles, MCC’s Simon Bardell won his first match to NMMI but fell in the round of 16 to 2011 national champion Adam Mumco 6-2, 6-0.  Meridian’s number three Andres Yepez knocked ABAC off in the first round only to lose to the No. 5 seed Niklas Sparr (Johnson County) 6-2, 6-0. 

    After a four-hour match against Temple on Monday, MCC’s No. 4 Zach Marroy faced tournament winner Luis Vivas (Tyler) 6-2, 6-1.  MCC’s No. 5 player fell into the consolation draw Monday. In the consolation draw, Will Huntington picked up 1 1/2 points with wins against Harford, USC Lancaster, and Morraine Valley. Meridian’s No. 6 Trey Webb lost his first round but came back to win the consolation bracket adding two points to his team’s total.

    In doubles’ action, Meridian’s Leskovar/Bardell won a first-round match against McHenry and then lost to the top-seeded doubles team from Collin County 6-3, 6-3.  The No. 2 doubles team of Marroy/Yepez lost to New Mexico Military in straight sets 6-2, 6-2.  They picked up two matches in the consolation draw before falling to Pima in the finals of the consolation bracket.  At No. 3 doubles the Meridian team of Webb/Huntington earned no points as they lost a tough three-setter to Temple 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4.  They fell to Johnson County in the first match of the consolation 6-2, 7-5. 

    “The guys won every match that they could, I think,” said coach Wanda McPhail.  “All of the guys will be back next year.  They have had a lot of match experience this season against top ten teams.  I look for them to have more maturity next year; therefore, I expect us to do even better.”