The Men’s Tennis team kicked off their spring season this past weekend, hosting the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Division 3 Men’s Team Indoor Championships. The Gusties had a strong run, proving to be one of the top teams in the nation.
The team had high hopes going into the event, wanting to prove themselves against seven of this year’s top-ranked teams. The tournament included last year’s indoor champion and No. 1 tournament seed Emory University, No. 2 tournament seed Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, and many other competitive colleges.
The Gusties were seeded No. 8 out of the eight tournament teams and started off their run against Emory. The match was nothing short of spectacular for the home team. Going into the match, the Gusties knew they were not the favored team. Emory took home the tournament title last year and has a very impressive record coming into spring season, showing they are one of the most competitive schools in the country.
The team stepped up to the challenge however, giving the defending champions a run for their money from the No. 8 seed position. Emory started the competition with a 2-0 lead from wins in No. 2 and No. 3 doubles. Gustavus’ top doubles team composed of Senior Mohanad Alhouni and Junior Patrick Whaling battled back and won their match to keep the Gusties going.
Emory lead 2-1 going into the singles portion of the team competition. After dropping the No. 5 singles match 2-0, the Gusties stormed back with third set wins from Whaling and Senior Zach Ekstein. Alhouni quickly followed with a 2-0 singles win of his own in the top singles match, giving the Gusties a 4-3 lead.
After two hard-fought battles from Junior Chase Johnson and Senior Tommy Entwistle in the No. 4 and No. 6 singles, respectively, the Gusties came up just short, losing the competition against Emory by a score of 5-4.
“I couldn’t be prouder of how the team competed and lived out the things that are important to us,” Valentini said. “The match was played at a very high level, especially considering it being late February. Our guys trusted in each other and trusted in our approach beautifully. Obviously, it’s a tough result coming down the stretch, but it was a great match and a special one to be a part of.”
The fans that showed up to the bubble this weekend had a big effect on the team’s morale when momentum shifts occurred in the Gusties’ favor, according to Valentini.
“The atmosphere was about as fun as you could ask for when playing a home match,” Valentini said. “It’s what this tournament is all about.”
The Gusties moved on to the consolation bracket following the loss to Emory, but their run was far from over. The team made a statement in the semifinal round of the consolation bracket against Carnegie Mellon University, a top 10 nationally-ranked school.
The team had a strong 8-1 victory despite the emotions from the tough loss to Emory the night before.
“Our guys trusted in each other and trusted in our approach beautifully. Obviously, it’s a tough result coming down the stretch, but it was a great match and a special one to be a part of.” — Coach Valentini
“I felt the guys did a great job tonight of recovering from yesterday’s emotions. In singles, we were really in trouble at the top three spots, but they continued to believe and focus on their plans, both tactically and mentally. I’m grateful the results lined up with how well our guys handled the moment,” Valentini said.
In the final day of the tournament, Emory went on to win its third consecutive ITA Indoor Championships title against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
In the consolation bracket, the Gusties took on University of Redlands for the championship match. The Gusties were up 2-1 after the doubles matches and forced an early end to the competition after Alhouni, Whaling, and Johnson won their singles matches, ending the competition with a team score of 5-1.
In the past few weeks the Gusties were honored with two MIAC Athlete of the Week awards. Sophomore Michael O’Neil and Whaling earned these titles for their strong performances in the team’s non-conference play that kicked off the spring season. The team will look to these two, as well as many returning players that have earned this award in previous years, to continue the team’s dominance in the MIAC.
The Gusties are hoping to build on their pre-season record of 6-4 as they enter MIAC competition against Concordia College. The match is set for 6 p.m. March 3 at the Swanson Tennis Center.