As we head into the summer of 2024, we are looking back on the highlights from the 2023-24 athletic season at Calvin University as part of our Year in Review Series.
 
The Calvin men's tennis team finished the 2023-24 season with an overall record of 15-4 and tied for the regular season MIAA championship with a 6-1 league record.  
 
Here were some of the highlights of the Knights' season…
 
Claimed a Share of First MIAA Title Since 2013
 
The Calvin men's tennis team finished the 2023-24 season with a 6-1 league record to claim a share of its first MIAA regular season championship since the 2012-13 campaign. The Knights finished a three-way tie with Kalamazoo and Trine to claim the top prize, and then defeated Trine 5-2 in the semifinal round of the MIAA tournament before falling 5-3 in the tournament final at Kalamazoo.
 
Recorded First Ever Win at Kalamazoo
 
The Knights fell behind 2-1 early in its match at Kalamazoo on April 3, but roared back in singles play to secure its first ever road win against the Hornets by a final of 5-4. Harrison Sindelar (Westfield, Ind./Westfield) and Emmanuel Henao (Medellin, Columbia/Escuela Normal Superior "La Merced") each won their singles matches in straight sets, while Maurquis Willingham (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central) and Ryan Broek (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian) won in three sets to complete the comeback. Broek played a marathon three-setter that ended with tiebreaker wins in both the second (7-2) and third (7-4) sets to score the final point.
 
Most Wins Since 2017-18
 
The 15 total wins on the season marked the most for the program since the 2017-18 season, when the Knights won 17 matches. Calvin started the season with seven straight wins, and then closed with a strong performance in conference play.
 
Coach John Ross Records 600th Career Win
 
The program's first ever win at Kalamazoo was not the only achievement reached on April 3 as it also marked 600th career win for head coach John Ross at Calvin. The 600 wins spread across three different sports, with Ross accumulating 299 wins as the Calvin women's basketball coach, 255 as men's tennis coach, and 46 more as women's tennis coach.