Denison Men's Tennis Falls in NCAA Quarterfinal

CHATTANOOGA, TN -- No. 4 ranked Denison saw its season come to an end with a 4-3 loss to No. 5 ranked Case Western Reserve in the quarterfinal round of the 2026 NCAA Division III Men’s Tennis Championship on Tuesday at Champions Club in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Denison opened the match by securing the doubles point with victories at the No. 2 and No. 3 flights. Senior Jacob Patterson (Bridgeville, PA/South Fayette) and first-year Wesley Huang (Pasadena, CA/Laurel Springs School) earned a 6-4 win at No. 2 doubles, while senior Andreas Chapides (Limassol, Cyprus/ES International School) and sophomore Nick Meyers (Cincinnati, OH/Sycamore) added another 6-4 victory at the No. 3 position. Case Western picked up its lone doubles win at No. 1.

Case evened the score with a win at No. 4 singles, before the Big Red took back the lead, as senior Anthony Payiavlas (Warren, OH/Harding) rolled to a 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 6 singles. The Spartans responded with a victory at No. 5 singles to even the match at 2-2 before senior Kael Shah (Nairobi, Kenya/ES American School Barcelona (Spain)) battled to a 6-4, 2-6, 6-0 win at No. 2 singles, putting Denison back in front, 3-2.

Case Western answered with a three-set win at No. 1 singles to tie the match once again, leaving the outcome to the final court at No. 3 singles. Patterson rallied after dropping the opening set and forced a decisive third set, but the Spartans ultimately secured the clinching point with a 6-0, 6-7 (7-2), 7-5 victory to edge Denison, 4-3.

Related Stories

Related Videos

Now Playing: