CEDAR RAPIDS—The matches were closer this time, but the Central College men's tennis team was defeated by Luther College 5-0 Saturday in the American Rivers Conference tournament semifinals.
           
The No. 2 seed Norse (17-6) advanced to play No. 1 Coe College in the conference title match while No. 3 Central closed out the season with a 12-9 mark.
           
"It was a nice battle," coach Ryun Ferrell said. "They were a little cleaner than we were today, but we played well."
           
A young lineup for Central featured just one senior in either the singles or doubles lineup. Josh Phillips (senior, Morton, Ill.) did not suffer a loss at No. 3 singles, but was trailing when the match was clinched.
           
"He did a great job," Ferrell said. "He started off slow in his first set. He was crawling back in the second set 3-2 before Luther clinched. He looked great in doubles, too."
           
The Dutch roster includes just two other seniors, Colin Jones (Pella) and Jackson Lewton (Ankeny, Centennial HS).
           
The rest of Central's roster this year included three juniors, four sophomores and four freshmen. Saturday's singles lineup featured one senior, one junior and two in the sophomore and freshman class apiece.
           
"It bodes well for the future," Ferrell said. "I think we've got a shot at taking the next step towards winning this league. We're excited about the players we've got coming back and we're excited about the players we've got coming in."