CONWAY, Ark. – In a homecoming of sorts at the Hatcher Tennis Center, the No. 24-ranked (NCAA II) Harding men's tennis team officially ushered in the Craig Kirchgessner era with a season-opening doubleheader sweep on Saturday.

The Bisons (2-0) defeated NCAA III Hendrix College 6-1 in the morning session before returning to the indoor courts for a 7-0 shutout of NAIA John Brown University. The matches marked the debut of Kirchgessner, who took over the Harding program last summer after a successful stint as the head coach at Hendrix.

Facing his former squad in the opener, Kirchgessner saw his Bisons battle through a competitive doubles point. While the Warriors took the top flight in a tiebreaker, Harding secured the 1-0 lead behind a 6-0 win from Florian Gayme and Sebastian De La Salas at No. 2, and a 6-4 clincher from Noah Trawick and David Campbell at No. 3.

Harding's depth took over in singles play. Senior Cian Mikkelsen fended off Wesley McClure 6-4, 7-5 at the No. 1 position, while freshman Jan Alexander Has earned his first collegiate dual-match victory with a 7-5, 6-4 win at No. 2. Luis Agullo, Gayme, and Ignacio De Lorenzo all won in straight sets to put the match out of reach. Hendrix earned its lone point at the No. 6 spot where Robinson Wright defeated Trawick.

In the afternoon finale, the Bisons displayed total control against John Brown. Harding swept all three doubles matches, highlighted by a dominant 6-0 performance from the duo of Gayme and Has.

The singles rotation saw several Bisons move up the lineup with ease. De La Salas took over the top spot, winning 6-1, 6-2 over Lucas Borges. The bottom of the order was nearly flawless, as freshman Luke Rhoden turned in a 6-0, 6-0 "double bagel" at No. 5, and Campbell closed out the sweep with a 6-1, 6-1 victory at No. 6.

Harding will carry its 2-0 record into next week's high-profile at Drury in Springfield, Missouri, on Friday, Feb. 6.

Harding 6, Hendrix 1

Jan 31, 2026 at Conway, Ark. (Hatcher Tennis Center)

Singles Competition

1. Cian Mikkelsen (HU) def. Wesley McClure (HC) 6-4, 7-5

2. Jan Alexander Has (HU) def. James Thomson (HC) 7-5, 6-4

3. Luis Agullo (HU) def. Max Henderson (HC) 6-2, 6-3

4. Florian Gayme (HU) def. Santiago Perez (HC) 6-2, 6-2

5. Ignacio De Lorenzo (HU) def. Rowan McCollum (HC) 6-0, 6-0

6. Robinson Wright (HC) def. Noah Trawick (HU) 6-3, 6-2

Doubles Competition

1. Wesley McClure/James Thomson (HC) def. Luis Agullo/Cian Mikkelsen (HU) 7-6 (7-3)

2. Florian Gayme/Sebastian De La Salas (HU) def. Cason Cole/Lucas Junkermann (HC) 6-0

3. Noah Trawick/David Campbell (HU) def. Max Henderson/Robinson Wright (HC) 6-4

Harding 7, John Brown 0

Jan 31, 2026 at Conway, Ark. (Hatcher Tennis Center)

Singles Competition

1. Sebastian De La Salas (HU) def. Lucas Borges (JBU) 6-1, 6-2

2. Jan Alexander Has (HU) def. Jonathan Hillock (JBU) 6-2, 6-0

3. Caleb Folse (HU) def. Santiago Jaime (JBU) 6-1, 6-0

4. Ignacio De Lorenzo (HU) def. Andrew Aylor (JBU) 6-2, 6-2

5. Luke Rhoden (HU) def. William Prochazka (JBU) 6-0, 6-0

6. David Campbell (HU) def. Grant Hinkle (JBU) 6-1, 6-1

Doubles Competition

1. Sebastian De La Salas/Luis Agullo (HU) def. Jonathan Hillock/Andrew Aylor (JBU) 6-2

2. Florian Gayme/Jan Alexander Has (HU) def. Lucas Borges/Santiago Jaime (JBU) 6-0

3. Luke Rhoden/David Campbell (HU) def. Grant Hinkle/Hayes Stark (JBU) 7-6 (7-3)