(Release courtesy of Matt Higgins, MIAC Assistant Executive Director)
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The biggest match of the MIAC men’s tennis regular season happened Saturday, when the league’s two undefeated teams squared off. Gustavus and star sophomore Mohanad Alhouni (Tripoli, Libya) emerged with an 8-1 win over Carleton to claim the conference title and continue a remarkable run of MIAC success, with Alhouni leading the way with wins at both No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles. For his performance, the MIAC sports information directors honored Alhouni Tuesday with his fourth MIAC Men’s Tennis Athlete-of-the-Week award of the 2016 season.
The Gusties were 8-0 and the Knights had a 6-0 record entering Saturday’s huge match, but Alhouni and company asserted themselves in a convincing win to claim another conference championship. At No. 1 singles, the standout sophomore was a 6-0, 6-3, winner over Carleton’s Kevin Mei, and he teamed up for an 8-5 victory at No. 1 doubles, as he and Andres Saenz defeated Mei and Erik Johnson. The two wins helped Alhouni improve to 14-7 in singles play and 14-7 in doubles matches, with all his singles matches coming in the top spot in the lineup, and all but three doubles matches at No. 1 as well.
The big win over Carleton completed Gustavus’ regular season and amazing 28th-straight MIAC Championship. The win also moved the Gusties’ MIAC regular-season winning streak to 260-conseuctive victories. The team closed the regular season with a perfect 9-0 MIAC mark, and a 22-7 overall record. In addition to the MIAC title, Gustavus also locked up the No. 1 seed in the MIAC Tennis Playoffs and home-court advantage throughout the tournament. The Gusties will have a first-round bye, then will face the No. 4/5 winner on Friday, May 6, in St. Peter, Minn.