Kingsmen See 2020 Campaign Come to an End

Posted: Mar 23, 2020

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.– Cal Lutheran men's tennis enjoyed some early non-conference success in 2020 before their season came to an abrupt end after concerns about COVID-19 halted their run

The Kingsmen (6-5, 0-2 SCIAC) recorded three sweeps over Marymount (Calif.), Texas Lutheran and Schreiner which highlighted their impressive start.

Non-conference competition was where Cal Lutheran stood strong as the Kingsmen went 6-2 and put together a near-perfect trip to Texas where they went 3-1.

Seniors Sebastian Ariza and Jake Haffner were fantastic when it came to their leadership efforts on and off the court and were poised for another winning season under Head Coach Mike Gennette.

The NCAA announced that they will grant a year of eligibility for spring sport student-athletes who saw their seasons cut short in 2020, however, it is likely that the two seniors have worn the Purple and Gold for the final time.

Ariza (Weston, Fla.) completes his impressive career as a four-year student-athlete at Cal Lutheran. In his first year at CLU, Ariza made his college debut and turned heads with four singles wins. Ariza improved his role as a sophomore, competing in 16 duals for the Kingsmen as he played at the No. 3, 4, 5 and 6 singles spots. In his junior season, Ariza went 5-5 overall in singles and posted a perfect 3-0 record at home. A consistent performer on the singles side, Ariza occupied many different spots and rallied his way to three wins in his senior season. He also picked up one doubles win on the year.

Haffner (Benton City, Wash.) made a huge impact in his two years as a Kingsmen. He competed in 23 singles matches and 20 doubles matches in his first year wearing the Purple and Gold, going 13-10 overall in singles. It was on the doubles side where Haffner was outstanding, posting a team-leading 16-4 overall record. Haffner delivered a 12-match winning streak during that season, which was the longest on the team. The senior enjoyed similar success early in 2020 as he worked his way to a 7-4 record in doubles while grabbing four singles wins along the way.

The Kingsmen return a great deal of young talent for the highly-anticipated 2021 campaign which is set to begin next February.

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