CLEVELAND, OH – Defending NCAC and NCAA champion Denison has been tabbed as the unanimous favorite for the 2026 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) men’s tennis season, based on votes submitted by the league coaches.
The Big Red, in search of their sixth-consecutive and 18th overall NCAC crown, claimed all nine first-place votes to secure the top spot in the preseason poll with 81 points. Kenyon finished second with 72 points, followed by DePauw in third with 62 points and Wabash in fourth with 51 points. Oberlin (49), Wooster (29), Ohio Wesleyan (28), John Carroll (22), and Wittenberg (11) rounded out the nine-team field.
The Big Red return all but one of their All-NCAC performers from a season ago and bring back five all-conference players who combined for 10 certificates in 2025. Senior
Ethan Green (Salt Lake City, UT/Skyline), the 2025 NCAC Player of the Year, returns after going 17-5 in dual singles play across the No. 1-3 flights, including a 12-5 mark at the top spot. Green also teamed with senior
Kael Shah (Nairobi, Kenya/ES American School Barcelona (Spain)) to post a 20-3 doubles record at the No. 1 flight, and earned their second-straight NCAC Doubles Team of the Year honors a season ago. In singles, Shah posted an 19-4 record across the top three flights in 2025, and he enters the spring coming off his second-consecutive NCAA singles national runner-up finish in 2025.
Also returning is senior
Jake Patterson (Bridgeville, PA/South Fayette), who earned All-NCAC first-team recognition after going 19-7 in singles play across the No. 1-3 flights. Patterson also picked up an All-NCAC second-team doubles certificate alongside former teammate
Colin Gramley after the pair went 17-3 in doubles play across the No. 1-2 flights. Sophomore
Nick Meyers (Cincinnati, OH/Sycamore) returns after an award-winning rookie season, earning All-NCAC second-team singles honors and being named the NCAC Newcomer of the Year. Meyers posted an 18-5 dual singles record while competing at the No. 3-5 flights. Rounding out the returning honorees is senior
Andreas Chapides (Limassol, Cyprus/ES International School), who earned All-NCAC third-team singles recognition and teamed with Meyers for a 10-4 doubles record at the No. 3 flight to add an All-NCAC second-team doubles certificate.
Last season, Denison posted a 28-2 overall record and an unblemished 7-0 mark in conference action, earning both the conference and tournament titles before capturing the program’s first NCAA championship.
The 2026 season and conference schedule begins on January 31 with Denison hosting Wooster and Wabash. The NCAC Tournament will be held Friday-Saturday, April 24-26.
2026 North Coast Athletic Conference
Men's Tennis Coaches' Poll |
| Place |
Institution (1st Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1 |
Denison (9) |
81 |
| 2 |
Kenyon |
72 |
| 3 |
DePauw |
62 |
| 4 |
Wabash |
51 |
| 5 |
Oberlin |
49 |
| 6 |
Wooster |
29 |
| 7 |
Ohio Wesleyan |
28 |
| 8 |
John Carroll |
22 |
| 9 |
Wittenberg |
11 |