CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. — The Wabash College tennis team opened the 2026 calendar year with a dominant home victory before running into the nation's top-ranked program later the same day, earning a split in Saturday's pair of matches to move to 1-1 overall on the season. Wabash began the day with a 7-0 victory against Manchester University at the Collett Tennis Center, winning all three doubles matches and all six singles contests without dropping a point. A second group of Little Giants traveled to Granville, Ohio, where they suffered a 7-0 setback against No. 1-ranked Denison University in their first North Coast Athletic Conference match of the season at the Mitchell Fieldhouse.

Against Manchester, Wabash set the tone early by sweeping the doubles point. Matthew Haas and Edmon Neto earned a 6-1 win at number one doubles, while Blake Discher II and Eric Tien cruised to a 6-0 decision at the number-two spot. The third doubles team of Faustino Dimuro and Eduardo Werneck completed the sweep with a 6-1 victory.

The Little Giants carried that momentum into singles play, claiming straight-set wins on all six courts. Discher opened singles action with a 6-1, 6-2 victory at the top spot, and Neto followed with a commanding 6-0, 6-0 win at number two singles. Dimuro matched that score in the third singles flight, while Tien posted a 6-3, 6-1 win at number four singles. Werneck secured the fifth point with a 6-1, 6-2 victory, and Samuel Soto Garcia closed the match with a 6-0, 6-0 win at number six singles.

Wabash faced a much stiffer challenge against Denison, the top-ranked team in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division III national rankings. The Big Red claimed the doubles point with wins on all three courts and maintained control throughout singles play to complete the sweep.

Denison earned doubles victories by scores of 6-2, 6-1, and 6-0 before taking all six singles matches in straight sets. Rafael Rin, Cole Shifferly, Augusto Ghidini, Murilo Guarniari, Tharakesh Ashokar, and Vittorio Bona each competed for the Little Giants in singles against the Denison lineup. The loss dropped Wabash to 0-1 in NCAC play.

The Little Giants compete against fifth-ranked Case Western Reserve University on Friday, February 6, in a 10 am match at the Collett Tennis Center.