ST. LOUIS – Five Missouri Baptist tennis players have been named to the NAIA Independent All-Conference teams. The men's and women's teams will head to Topeka, Kan. on Thursday to take part in the regional tournament this weekend.
On the men's side, Drew Morris, Quinton Argent, Conner Stevenson, and Yann Herve were named to the All-Conference team.
Morris, a Kirkwood, Mo. native, earned First-Team honors in singles play after finishing the regular season with a 9-6 record. After facing two NCAA Division I opponents and multiple NAIA ranked players, Morris ended the season with a five-match winning streak. One of the highlights of his season was taking NCAA Division I Saint Louis No. 1 to a tiebreak before falling, 10-2.
In doubles play, the tandem of Morris and Quinton Argent were honored with First-Team All-Conference. The two went 6-7 on the season after facing the top duo in each match. Morris and Argent started the season 3-0 after defeating Principia, Lindenwood-Belleville, and Quincy. From there, the two lost five straight, including a 6-3 loss to NCAA Division I Saint Louis. One of the highlights of the season for Morris and Argent was defeating No. 14 Graceland, 9-7. Argent, a Ravenshoe, Queensland native, also went 7-7 in singles play.
Conner Stevenson and Yann Herve were named to the Second-Team All-Conference squad. The two went 8-6 as the No. 2 doubles team. Stevenson, a Dardenne Prairie, Mo. native, and Herve, a Lyon, France native, played consistent for the majority of the season. Stevenson and Herve began the season 3-1, with the lone loss being an 8-3 defeat at the hands of NCAA Division II Quincy. After falling in three consecutive, the two won three straight, including a 9-8 (7) victory over No. 14 Graceland. Stevenson and Herve defeated Lindenwood-Belleville, 8-4, to complete the season sweep over the Lynx.
On the women's side, Nika Juricic was named First-Team All-Conference in singles play. The Umag, Croatia native went 4-9 from the No. 1 singles slot. She ended the season with a three-match winning streak. Juricic dominated Lindenwood-Belleville, 6-1 and 6-1, before defeating St. Louis College of Pharmacy, 8-0 in a pro set. She ended the regular season with a 6-0 and 6-2 defeat over Stephens.
The Spartan men own the No. 3 seed in the eight-team regional, while the women hold the No. 6 spot in the 11-team regional. The tournament is set to begin on Friday morning at the Kossover Tennis Center in Topeka, Kan.
