Metro player Miriam Evangelista returns a serve to Fort Hays State player Lana Staggenborg in her doubles match with teammate Tia Mahoney on April 14. Photo by William Moore • moorwill@mscd.edu Metro tennis players Miriam Evangelista, left, and Tia Mahoney clasp hands during their doubles match against Ft. Hays State on April 14. Ft. Hays beat Metro, 8-1. The Roadrunners are 1-4 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.

   The Metro men’s tennis team took two of three matches this past week, beating University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and Mesa State to remain unbeaten in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference competition.
   The Roadrunners narrowly defeated the Mountain Lions April 12 in Colorado Springs, 5-4.
“ That’s the nature of tennis,” Metro head coach Dave Alden said. “You’re not always going to be at the top of your game.”
   Metro returned to Auraria Courts the following afternoon to defeat the Mesa State Mavericks, 6-3.
   Sophomore Riley Meyer came through in the clutch for the Roadrunners, winning a third-set tiebreaker over the Mountain Lions’ Eric Rivera in singles play, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (3).
   Metro’s third-ranked doubles team of sophomore Sean Carlton and William Meyer were also crucial to the Roadrunner win, edging past the Mountain Lions’ third-ranked doubles team, 8-6.
It was the second win for the duo this season.
William Meyer also won his singles match (6-3, 6-3), as did juniors Drew Machholz (6-1, 6-2) and Mark Milner (6-0, 6-0).
   The Metro women were on the losing end of the Lions’ attack and were beaten 7-2.
Junior Akiko Kinoshita won her singles match, 6-2, 6-1, after teaming up with her sophomore sister Ragnhild Kinoshita for an 8-5 win in third-ranked doubles play.
The Roadrunners won their first two doubles matches on April 13 en route to a 6-3 win over Mesa State.
   The No. 1-ranked regional duo of senior Andre Nilsson and Riley Meyer continued their dominance with an 8-5 win and Machholz and Milner followed suit with a 8-2 victory.
Machholz, Milner, William and Riley Meyer each won their single matches, with Milner winning in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0.
   Akiko and Ragnhild Kinoshita again won their third-team doubles match, 8-5, for the women’s only win in an 8-1 loss.
   In the men’s third match in as many days, No. 9-ranked College of Santa Fe swept the Roadrunners in singles matches and went on to defeat Metro, 8-1.
   The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics ranks the College of Santa Fe No. 9.
The April 15 men and women’s match against RMAC rival Nebraska-Kearney was postponed due to rain showers and high winds. The match was rescheduled for April 20 at Auraria Courts.
   Akiko Kinoshita won her singles match, 6-4, 7-6 (6), April 17 against Fort Hays, but the Tigers swept up the rest of the Metro women in the 8-1 loss.
   The loss to College of Santa Fe dropped the men’s overall record to 12-7 on the season, but the Roadrunners came out of the week still on top of the RMAC at 4-0.
With the loss to Fort Hays, the Metro women’s team fell to 2-17 overall. They are 1-4 in RMAC play.
   The Metro tennis teams head into a potentially grueling week that begins with back-to-back matches against Sonoma State and Nebraska-Kearney April 19 and 20. Kearney is also 4-0 in RMAC play.
   “ This (Nebraska-Kearney match) determines who’s No. 1 and No. 2 in the conference tournament,” Alden said.
   He added bragging rights are on the line, too.
   The busy week culminates with a three-day RMAC Tournament at Auraria Courts April 21-23.
   It’s possible that Metro and Nebraska-Kearney will meet again for the conference title.
   “ If we play the type of tennis that we’re capable of playing,” Alden said, “we have a chance to win this tournament.”