OVERLAND PARK – Kansas Wesleyan Men’s Tennis played host to the inaugural ITA NAIA Indoor Championships, as the Coyotes faced some of the top teams in the NAIA over three matches.

KWU hosted the event, featuring seven of the top NAIA teams, including defending national champion Georgia Gwinnett.

The Coyotes first faced the Georgia Gwinnett Grizzlies dropping a 5-0 decision.

In doubles, Gwinnett won the point winning two matches as Paras Dahiya and Dhakshineswar Suresh beat Bryce Ware (SO/Amarillo, Texas) and Alex Sherer (SO/Rossville, Kan.) 6-0; and Jose Dugo and Leonardo Sprovieri beat Jacob Phelps (FR/Lawton, Okla.) and Adam Hanson (FR/Edmond, Okla.) 6-0. Garrison Wright (SO/Maize, Kan.) and Luke Craft (SO/Manhattan, Kan.) were trailing in their match 5-2 when it was called.

In singles, Gwinnett won four matches, Dahiya beat Jacob Phelps 6-0, 6-1; Aleksa Ciric beat Garrison Wright 6-1, 6-1; Leonardo Sprovieri beat Adam Hanson 6-1, 1-0; and Santiago Villarruel beat Collin Phelps (FR/Salina, Kan.) 6-1. 6-0. Ware and Sherer’s singles matches did not finish.

On Saturday, KWU faced No. 5 ranked Xavier (La.), dropping a 4-0 decision.

Xavier won the doubles point as Mathieu Strauss and Julius Hell beat Brandon Sherman (JR/Overland Park, Kan.) and Francisco Velasquez (JR/Arkansas City, Kan.) 6-0; and Guillermo Coiras and Dedric Ray beat Wes Robertson (JR/Edmond, Okla.) and Jack Hanson (FR/Edmond, Okla.) 6-2. Sherer and Ware were trailing 3-2 in their match that went unfinished.

In singles, Xavier won three flights to claim the match. Strauss beat Robertson 6-0, 6-1; Hell beat Hanson 6-1, 6-0; and Jered Wilson beat Velasquez 6-2, 6-0.

In Sunday’s final match for the Coyotes, KWU faced Indiana Wesleyan, falling 4-2.

The Coyotes got both points in singles play as Ware beat Isaac Steiner 7-5, 6-0; and Collin Phelps beat Noah Lyons 6-1, 6-3.

In doubles, IWU claimed the point in competitive matches. Steiner and Trey Thixton beat Ware and Sherer 6-2; and Alex Serwatka and Lennart Bengtsson beat Jacob Phelps and Adam Hanson 6-3.

IWU got singles wins as Serwatka beat Sherer in three sets 0-6, 6-0, 6-2; Bengtsson beat Phelps 7-6, 6-2; and Thixton beat Hanson in three sets 6-1, 6-7, 6-1.

KWU will return to action on March 1, in a scrimmage with Pratt CC. KWU will play at the new Salina Tennis Center on March 11 in the home opener, against Concordia (Neb.) and Doane, starting at 11 a.m.