Howard Payne men's tennis faced a tough challenge on Friday, April 17, falling 7-0 to Mary Hardin-Baylor in conference play.

Despite the final score, the Yellow Jackets showed competitiveness in doubles play, particularly at the top position. The pairing of Luke Flemming and Gabriel Keeney-McCollough pushed their match to the limit at No. 1 doubles, narrowly falling 7-6 in a tightly contested battle.

In singles action, Gabriel Keeney-McCollough delivered one of the stronger performances of the day at No. 1 singles. After dropping the opening set, he responded with a 6-4 second-set win to extend the match and show resilience against a tough opponent.

Eli Hall also found moments of success at No. 5 singles, battling through a competitive second set, while Benjamin Beaudin added games at the No. 6 position. Riley Harker, Luke Flemming, and Parker Hoel each saw action across the lineup, gaining valuable experience in conference play.

Head Coach Josh Lopez acknowledged the challenge while pointing to areas of growth.

"We competed better in spots than the score shows, especially in doubles and at the top of the lineup," Lopez said. "Now it's about building consistency and carrying that fight through every match as we continue conference play."

Howard Payne will look to regroup and continue developing as ASC competition continues into the Conference Tournament.