GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Calvin men's tennis team clinched a share of the 2024 MIAA regular season title with an 8-1 win over Alma Tuesday afternoon at the Strikwerda Tennis Courts.
Calvin gained a three-way share of the final league crown with Kalamazoo and Trine with all three schools finishing with 6-1 league records. Kalamazoo handed Trine its first league defeat on Tuesday with a 7-2 win in Kalamazoo to create the three-way league championship.
It marks Calvin's second-ever MIAA regular season title in men's tennis, joining its 2013 league crown, also a tri-championship. The 2013 league title was shared between Calvin, Hope and Kalamazoo.
In its win over Alma, Calvin (14-3 overall) took all three doubles points and five of the six singles points to cruise to the conference win.
In doubles action, sophomore
Corwin Kim (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson HS) and freshman
Noah Yi (Fullerton, Ca./Valencia HS) teamed up for an 8-3 win at No. 1 doubles. Senior Harrison Sindelaar (Westfield, Ind./Westfield HS) and freshman
Felipe Sartori (Cotia, Brazil Colégio Giusto Zonzini) were 8-7 winners at No. 2 doubles. Senior
Adam Zentner (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston HS) and sophomore
Ryan Broek (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian HS) claimed an 8-2 win at No. 3 doubles.
Sartori got things rolling in singles action with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Jake Laceski at No. 1 singles. Kim rolled to a 6-0, 6-1 win over Caleb Schuring at No. 2 singles. Broek claimed a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Tatenda Makudu at No. 3 singles. Sophomore
Emmanuel Henao (Medellin, Columbia/Escuela Normal Superior La Merced) rolled to a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Ashton Trnka at No. 5 singles. Yi was a 6-1, 6-2 winner Michaels Walker at No. 6 singles.
The Knights gained the No. 2 seed for next week's MIAA Tournament and will host Trine next Wednesday at 4 p.m. with top-seeded Kalamazoo hosting fourth-seeded Kalamazoo in the other Wednesday semifinal. The highest remaining seed advancing out of the semifinals will host the MIAA Tournament final on May 3 with the winner receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA III Tournament.
COACHES COMMENT: "A nice win to the end the regular season," said Calvin head tennis coach
John Ross. "I'm really proud of this team for its effort and accomplishments this year. We will wait and see where we will play the (MIAA Tournament) semifinals and against what opponent. We are looking forward to MIAA Tournament play."
