COLUMBUS, Miss. – The W men's tennis dropped a pair of non-conference matches in a home doubleheader on Friday at the Garrett Courts. The Owls (0-5) lost to LaGrange College, 5-2, in the morning match and fell to Rust College, 6-1, in the evening bout.  
 
In the day's opening bout, MUW's wins versus the Panthers came at the Nos. 2 and 3 singles contests. At No. 2 singles, it was Lucas Suggs winning a hard-fought, straight-set victory over LC's  Yoni Falla, 6-4, 6-4.
 
But it was at third singles where The W's match of the day occurred, where MUW's Jaylen Lewis was pitted against the Panthers' Kyle Moore. Moore took the first set, 7-5, before Lewis bounced back to pick up the split by winning the second set, 6-3. Lewis kept his momentum in the third and deciding proset, winning 12-10.
 
In the nightcap versus Rust, the Owls ran into a red-hot Bearcats squad that topped the hosts for their second win of the day. MUW's Suggs and Tyler Bailey had a dominating win at No. 1 doubles, but RC took the doubles point by wins at Nos 2 and 3 pairs.
 
The W's lone win came at No. 6 singles. Trevor Davis took set one, 6-4, before his Bearcats' foe retired in the second set.