THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Cal Lutheran men's tennis battled throughout the lineup on Thursday afternoon, but came up just short in a 6-1 loss to Colby College in its final non-conference match at the Poulson Tennis Center.

The Kingsmen (3-5) found themselves in an early hole after dropping the doubles point, despite a strong showing at the top spot. The duo of Ethan Sherwood and Maxence Faniel delivered a gritty performance at No. 1, securing a tiebreak victory to highlight the early action.

Colby carried its momentum into singles play, but not without a fight from Cal Lu. Four of the six singles matches were pushed to three sets, showcasing the resilience of the Kingsmen lineup.

Toki Adachi provided the bright spot on the day at No. 2, bouncing back after dropping the first set to earn a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 win for Cal Lutheran's lone point.

Several other courts were tightly contested down the stretch. Matthew Goldstein battled through a three-set match at No. 6, while Faniel pushed his opponent to a deciding set at No. 4. In the five spot, Carlo Drewelow delivered one of the most dramatic matches of the afternoon, going to a final-set tiebreak before narrowly falling 8-6.

Despite the result, the Kingsmen showed fight across the board as they prepare to turn their focus to conference play.

Cal Lutheran is set to open SCIAC competition on Saturday, March 28, traveling to face Chapman at 10 a.m.