SAINT PETER, Minn. — The Gustavus men’s tennis team, which starts the season ranked No. 17 in the nation according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), takes to the court this Saturday to begin its 2023 season.
The Gusties’ packed schedule is highlighted by a trip to Grand Forks, N.D. to face Division I opponents Creighton and North Dakota this weekend. The Gusties will also face nationally ranked opponents in No. 1 Chicago, No. 9 Pomona-Pitzer, No. 16 Cal Tech, and No. 34 UW-Whitewater, and will round out the indoor season hosting the ITA National Team Indoor Championships Feb. 24-26.
“We have a really exciting and dense schedule this season, and we know that the most challenging competition is what allows us to grow the most,” said Head Coach Tommy Valentini, in his 14th season leading the Gusties. “The challenge with the schedule is to stay present and not look at it in its entirety. Our goal is to play the next match as well as we’re capable of and let the rest take care of itself. Given the depth we have and what these guys have become accustomed to, they’ve all earned the right to play against this outside competition and it really challenges our group to be at our best all the time.”
Looking to his seniors to lead the way, Valentini expects his upperclassmen to continue to drive the team’s success, both on and off the court.
“We have a lot of depth in the guys that are coming back. The biggest piece of our puzzle this year is the big class of true seniors that have been the key to our narrative as a program. They have led us and really brought the young guys through the fall and contribute on and off the court.”
Top seniors returning from last year’s squad include Alex Budde (Menomonee Falls, Wis.), Jack Bergmeyer (Lincoln, Neb.), Daniel Fouchier (Nootdorp, Netherlands), Sourabh Terakanambi (Apple Valley) and Justin Sehlin (Bettendorf, Iowa). Returning for a fifth year are national notables Nick Aney (Rochester), Indraneel Raut (Oshkosh, Wis.), Luke Haddorff (Burnsville) and Drew Elofson (Saint Peter).
Aney looks to build off his record 2022 season, in which he earned All-America status with doubles partner Budde, the MIAC Men’s Tennis Elite 22 Award, the MIAC Arthur Ashe award, and CoSIDA Academic All-American honors.
“We’re really excited to have guys with this much experience comeback for another year. They’ve already contributed so much to our program, and they add a lot of depth to our lineup on the court.”
The Gusties already saw a glimpse of what’s to come for their first-years in the fall, with Gage Gohl (Sioux Falls, S.D.) and Tyler Haddorff (Burnsville) finding themselves in the ITA national rankings. The pair of Gohl and Elofson are ranked No. 13 in the nation and third in the region for doubles pairs after finishing second in the ITA Midwest Regionals this past fall. Meanwhile, Tyler Haddorff ranked No. 17 in the region for singles.
Marco Siviero (Sao Miguel de Oeste, Brazil) looks to build off a standout freshman year and strong fall season, which resulted in a No. 15 national ranking for the sophomore.
“We’re thrilled with what we accomplished in the fall and we’ll try to use that to build as much trust as we can for what we’re capable moving fordward. Our freshmen and sophomores have done a great job of understanding who we are and what we’re trying to build here. We have a ton of opportunities for them to compete this year, and we’re excited to get them some experience starting tomorrow.”
After 33 consecutive MIAC titles, Valentini’s squad is ready to honor the past, but is looking ahead to the future success of the team.
“What our program has been able to do in the past is really meaningful to us and it’s an honor for this current group to be a part of that story. We’re focused on building our culture and trying to stay in the present each time we step onto the court. The history of our program has set a standard for how we want to be as a team, as people, and as competitors, but we are focused on what we can build this year.”
The Gusties start the season Saturday as a split squad at North Dakota and hosting UW-Stevens Point and Grinnell in Saint Peter. The team will then head to Florida next weekend for a series of six matches.