Cameron Richardson
With the official NCAA tennis season now underway, the Ole Miss men’s tennis team is competing to be considered one of the elite programs in the country.
The team knocked off No. 12 Illinois on Jan. 24 in an exciting match, which ended 4-3 for the Rebels. Sophomore Simon Junk delivered his first clinch of his collegiate career, winning the match for his team.
Junior Finn Reynolds and freshman Lukas Engelhardt helped deliver clutch singles victories to keep the match in reach. The Rebels also won the doubles matchup in three sets, thanks to the second set victory from Engelhardt and Nikola Slavic, and the third set winner from Junk and Jan Soren Hain.
Head coach Toby Hansson praised his squad after the match.
“This was an awesome marathon college battle that I will remember for a long time. It was one of the best and longest matches I’ve ever been a part of,” he said. “The team really stuck together and showed a lot of heart tonight.”
After this victory, the Rebels were unable to grind out another win versus a ranked opponent, falling 3-4 to No. 16 Michigan the next day. Ole Miss and Michigan tied in the singles matchups 3-3, but the Rebels lost in the doubles round, giving Michigan the lead.
“What another incredible match today. It was very similar to yesterday’s (vs. Illinois). We just came up a little short. The guys learned a lot about this team today and themselves, and we learned we can compete with the very best,” he said. “I see a lot of positives coming out of everybody, and they’re starting to believe they’re a good team.”
Despite the loss, the Rebels have impressed the NCAA tennis world with their performances. Ole Miss has made the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s (ITA) Top-25 rankings this week, coming in at No. 22.
Currently, the Rebels are one of eight SEC teams within the top 25 in the country. They will look to continue this run in a huge matchup against No. 20 Oklahoma State on Friday at 6 p.m.
