The Eagles put a brief scare into 11th-ranked Culver Academies on Saturday afternoon before falling 4-1 in a dual match at Culver.

Kody Vest rallied to win 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 over Peter Bilicic of California at No. 2 singles.  It was the second straight year in which Kody was the team’s only varsity winner against Culver.

Two other positions were extended into three sets, giving Delta some hope of pulling a significant dual-match upset.  Seniors Preston Shanayda and Dalton Royal rallied to win the second set at No. 1 doubles.  They dropped the first set 4-6 to hard-hitting Peter Allen of Georgia and William Tullis of South Bend. Ind., but then captured the second set 6-4.  In the third set, the Culver pair pulled away for a 6-2 win.

At No. 3 singles, Caleb Hewitt played his first varsity match of the season.  He won the opening set 7-6, but Jorge Alvarez of Mexico rallied to win the final two sets 5-7 and 0-6.

Culver first team All-State returnee Tyler Li of California won 6-1, 6-0 over Simon Marlow at No. 1 singles.

Jake Bilby and Aaron Elliott played some solid stretches at No. 2 doubles but couldn’t string together enough good points and fell 2-6, 2-6 to Fred Morsches of Missouri and Matys Latyus of Latvia.

Culver dominated the JV match by a 12-3 score.

Winners for Delta were Brady Williams/Tyce Dishman, Charlie Knapp/Denys Krushenytskyi, and Maddox Weddle/Brandon Wagner.

Afterward, the team members and families were able to join Culver coach Al Loehr for a tour of two player barracks and the dining hall.  Additionally, Loehr explained that student tuition/room and board for Culver is $61,000 per year and the school has about 840 students.  He said boys serve in one of four military organizational groups and must be in uniform most of the time on campus throughout the week.  Girls also learn leadership in the English Prefect system.

Culver has 67 sports teams in 33 different sports, including lacrosse, polo, equestrian sports, fencing, crew and hockey.

The players enjoyed a dip in the cool waters of Lake Maxinkuckee and had Papa’s Pizza while playing cornhole and football near the lake.

Earlier in the day on Saturday, Delta jumped on Shelbyville’s young tennis squad early and took control of a Hoosier Heritage Conference match, winning 5-0 over the Golden Bears.

Delta won the opening sets at the five varsity positions by scores of 6-2, 6-2, 6-2, 6-0 and 6-2.

Shelbyville, with five sophomores and a freshman among their top seven players, battled closer in some of the second sets, but Delta closed out the shutout victory on Saturday morning at the Mt. Vernon courts.

Senior Simon Marlow won 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1 singles.  Junior Kody Vest prevailed 6-2, 6-0 at No. 2 singles. And junior Owen Cupp hung on 6-2, 7-6 (3) to win at No. 3 singles.

In doubles, seniors Dalton Royal and Preston Shanayda stepped up big in a 6-0, 6-1 victory.  Shelbyville’s Aiden Smith and Carson Schaf entered the match with a 7-0 record.

At No. 2 doubles, freshman Tyce Dishman made his varsity debut.  He and his partner, senior Jake Bilby, won 6-2, 6-4.

In JV action, the Eagles claimed a 6-1 victory.

Delta (2-1 varsity) will visit Greenfield-Central at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday for a key HHC match.

Complete results of the morning match vs. Shelbyville

Varsity
Singles

1. Simon Marlow (D) def. L. Prickett (S) 6-2, 6-2
2. Kody Vest (D) def. C. Claxton (S) 6-2, 6-0
3. Owen Cupp (D) def. W. Armstrong (S), 6-2, 7-6 (3)

Varsity
Doubles

1. Dalton Royal/Preston Shanayda (D) def. Smith/Schaf (S), 6-0, 6-1
2. Jake Bilby/Tyce Dishman (D) def. Reed/Bunton (S), 6-2, 6-4

JV Singles

1. Caleb Hewitt won 8-2
2. Ben Miller won 8-3
3. James Root won 8-1
4. Hanson Heintzelman lost 5-8

JV Doubles

1. Ben Miller/Brady Williams won 8-2
2. Aaron Elliott/Will Kile won 7-2 retired
3. Kam Swoboda/Jacob Williams won 8-5

Complete results of the afternoon match vs. Culver Academies

Varsity
Singles

1. Simon Marlow (D) lost to Li (CMA), 1-6, 0-6
2. Kody Vest (D) def. P. Bilicic (CMA), 3-6, 6-1, 6-3
3. Caleb Hewitt (D) lost to J. Alvarez (CMA), 7-6, 5-7, 0-6

Varsity
Doubles

1. Dalton Royal/Preston Shanayda (D) lost to Allen/Tullis (CMA), 4-6, 6-4, 2-6
2. Jake Bilby/Aaron Elliott (D) lost to Morsches/Latyus (CMA), 2-6, 2-6

JV Singles

1. Owen Cupp lost 5-7, 3-3 retired
2. Ben Miller lost 2-6, 2-6
3. James Root lost 1-6, 0-6
4. Colten Cruea lost 1-8
5. Daniel Tokar lost 0-8
6. Justus Subler lost 0-8

JV Doubles

1. Will Kile / Kam Swoboda lost 2-6, 1-6
2. Tyce Dishman / Brady Williams won 6-4, 6-3
3. Kaden Crist / Jacob Williams lost 6-8
4. Alexander Smith / Colten Cruea lost 2-8
5. Hanson Heintzelman / Jason Ogle lost 7-9
6. Maddox Weddle / Brandon Wagner lost 1-8
7. Charlie Knapp / Denys Krushenytskyi won 9-7
8. Grant Durkovich / Caden Moss lost 1-8
9. Maddox Weddle / Brandon Wagner won 8-3