WINONA LAKE – The 2018 season for Grace’s men’s tennis team started perfectly on Tuesday.

The Lancers shut out Bethel 9-0 at Miller Athletic Complex, opening the fall season in impressive fashion.

The Grace women’s team also opened with a win against Bethel in a 7-2 final.

For the men, three players registered their first wins as Lancers. Max Rozas started his career with a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 1 singles, and Pavle Popovic won 6-2, 6-0 at No. 2 singles. The pair went on to pull out an 8-6 victory at No. 1 doubles.

Jacob Gray also won both of his matches. He teamed up with Caleb Yoder to earn an 8-6 win at No. 2 doubles, and Gray also blanked his opponent at No. 6 singles, 6-0, 6-0.

Diego Zamora and Conner Bates picked up an easy 8-1 win at No. 3 doubles, and Zamora also won in three sets at No. 3 singles.

The Fonseca twins each won his match in singles’ play. Lucas Fonseca won 6-3, 7-5 at No. 4, and Arturo Fonseca won in three sets at No. 5.

“It was great to start the year playing this well. Diego and Arturo battled well to win in three sets for us,” said Grace head coach Andy Lewis. “Bethel came in and played hard, but the Lancers were ready to play.”

The Grace women won all three of its doubles courts and played some gutsy matches in singles play.

The duo of Emily Mast and Jenna Jackson were very sound in an 8-2 win over Taylor Freedline and Caroline Boger. Both Mast and Jackson each won singles courts as well, Mast beating Freedline two and three and Jackson a 4-6, 6-3, 10-6 marathon over Grace Haley.

Jayna Armstrong and Shelby Bankson beat Stephanie Cressman and Zoe Laubach 8-4 in the doubles pairing, then Armstrong carried it over to a 6-1, 7-6 win over Layla Jojo.

Carrie Copeland and Molly Fitzpatrick got an 8-1 win over Jojo and Abbey Van Diver in doubles play, but both Copeland and Fitzpatrick fell victim to loss on singles courts, Boger taking care of Copeland three and four and Emili Runestad beating Fitzpatrick 6-7, 6-3, 11-9.

Morgan Mast got the other Grace win in singles play with a love, love sweep of VanDiver.

“I’m very pleased with our effort tonight during a hot and muggy evening,” said Grace women’s head coach Marcus Moore. “Our freshmen looked like veterans in their first college matches. I couldn’t be happier with our doubles. It was great to get off to a quick 3-0 lead against a well-coached and improved Bethel team.”

The Lady Lancers’ season continues on Thursday with a 4 p.m. match at NCAA Division I Valparaiso. The Lancer men remain at home Thursday at 3 p.m. against Indiana Tech.