GRINNELL, Iowa - The Coe College men's tennis team took a 3-0 lead after doubles play Saturday at Grinnell, but lost five of six singles matches to fall to the Pioneers in a match between two teams ranked in the top 15 of the central region poll.

Junior Curtis Newman (Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny) and freshman Noah Sprinkel (Minneapolis, Minn./South) opened doubles play with an 8-5 win over Elliott Czarnecki and Michael Cole at number one.  At number two doubles, sophomore Jeff Damisch (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy) and sophomore Michael Woolf (Palantine, Ill./Palantine) downed Ishan Bhadkamkar and Benjamin Charney 8-5.  Coe's final doubles win came at number three, as senior Jonathan Roger (Minneapolis, Minn./St. Anthony Village) and sophomore Michael Janssen (Oshkosh, Wis./Lourdes) beat Colin Johnson and Aaron Lapkin 8-4.

Coe's only singles win came at number one, as Sprinkel beat Czarnecki 6-2, 7-6.  In three of the five singles matches the Kohawks lost, the match went to a third set.

The Kohawks return to action next weekend, as they face Central at 9 a.m. on Saturday in Pella.  Coe will return home to face Carleton on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Clark Racquet Center.