CLEVELAND, OH – Denison has been tabbed as the unanimous favorite for the 2025 North Coast Athletic Conference men’s tennis season, based on voting by the league coaches.
The Big Red, in pursuit of their fifth consecutive and 17th overall NCAC crown, claimed all eight first-place votes to secure the top spot in the preseason poll with 64 points. The Kenyon Owls, owners of a league-leading 22 NCAC titles, finished second in the voting with 56 points. DePauw followed in third with 48 points, while just four points separated Wabash (38) in fourth and Oberlin (34) in fifth. Wooster landed in sixth with 22 points, while Ohio Wesleyan (16) and Wittenberg (10) rounded out the eight-team field.
Denison brings back five all-conference selections from the 2023-24 squad that posted an impressive 21-5 overall record, a perfect 7-0 mark in league play, and captured both the NCAC Championship and NCAC Tournament titles. Returning for the Big Red are the 2024 NCAC Player of the Year, junior
Jacob Patterson (Bridgeville, PA/South Fayette), the 2024 NCAC Doubles Team of the Year, juniors
Ethan Green (Salt Lake City, UT/Skyline) and
Kael Shah (Nairobi, Kenya/ES American School Barcelona (Spain)), and senior duo
Ryan Patrick (Darien, CT/Laurel Springs) and
Colin Gramley (Sharon, PA/Shady Side Academy). Patterson enters his junior campaign following a dominant 23-4 singles record, including a 16-2 dual match record last season, going undefeated at No. 1 (5-0) and No. 2 singles (6-0) and earning first-team All-NCAC honors. The Bridgeville, Pennsylvania native also excelled in doubles last year, posting a 27-2 overall record with a 19-2 record in dual matches alongside former teammate
Andy Mackler. Together the pair picked up a second-team all-conference nod after posting 3-0 mark in NCAC action. Green and Shah will take the court after posting an 19-9 overall record and a 6-0 mark in NCAC play at No. 1 doubles, which earned them 2024 first-team laurels. After competing across the top three flights in singles last season, the pair earned All-NCAC first-team selections as Green finished with a 22-9 overall record and Shah posted a 29-5 mark. Senior duo, Patrick and Gramley, also earned all-conference nods for their strong performances, with Patrick garnering third-team honors after posting an 11-5 overall singles record and a 5-0 record in NCAC play, and Gramley earning third-team doubles recognition alongside Green after finishing with a 8-4 record in doubles play. Last season, Denison secured the NCAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and made history by advancing to the quarterfinals for the first time. Patterson, Green, and Shah earned their first Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-America honors for their efforts at the national championship, which included Shah earning national runner-up status in singles. Denison concluded the year ranked No. 8 by the ITA.
This fall, Green earned All-American status after winning the Singles Championship at the ITA Central Region Championship, while he and Shah were doubles runners-up, with both achievements securing spots at the ITA Cup. At the ITA Cup, the doubles duo helped Denison reach its first-ever appearances in both the singles and doubles semifinals and finals. Green finished as the singles runner-up, while he and Shah advanced to the semifinals in doubles. Heading into the 2025 spring season, Denison is ranked No. 6 as a team, while three members of the Big Red squad are nationally ranked in singles, including Green at No. 2, Shah at No. 6, and Patterson at No. 38. In doubles, the Green/Shah duo holds the No. 2 ranking.
The 2025 portion of the season begins on Saturday, February 1, while the first league match is set for Saturday, February 9, with DePauw hosting Denison. The NCAC Tournament, which features a new six-team format, will be held Friday-Sunday, May 2-4.
2025 North Coast Athletic Conference
Men's Tennis Preseason Coaches' Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses, followed by total points) |
| 1. |
Denison (8) |
64 |
| 2. |
Kenyon |
56 |
| 3. |
DePauw |
48 |
| 4. |
Wabash |
38 |
| 5. |
Oberlin |
34 |
| 6. |
Wooster |
22 |
| 7. |
Ohio Wesleyan |
16 |
| 8. |
Wittenberg |
10 |