ST. PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus men’s tennis team is set to host a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference semifinal playoff match at 4 p.m. Friday. The Gusties, who earned the top seed as the regular season champions at 9-0, host fourth-seeded Macalester at the Swanson Tennis Center. The Gusties are 21-8 overall and the Scots are 10-7.
- Gustavus is the reigning MIAC playoff champion, having won the past seven postseason tournaments and 10 of 11 total playoff titles since the MIAC initiated postseason play in 2007. Last season, the Gusties defeated Bethel 9-0 in the semifinal and St. Thomas 5-1 in the championship to capture the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championships.
- The Gusties shut out Macalester 9-0 in the regular season on April 27 in St. Paul. Gustavus won 8-2, 8-6, 8-4 and Nos. 1-3 doubles, respectively, and was victorious in straight sets in all six singles matches. The Scots advanced to the semifinal round with an 8-1 win over Concordia on Wednesday.
- Head Coach Tommy Valentini is one win away from career victory No. 200. In his ninth season at the helm, Valentini has guided the Gusties to a record of 199-79.
ITA Rankings
According to the April 26 ITA rankings, the Gusties are No. 6 in the nation and No. 1 in the Central Region.
Central Region Singles Rankings
No. 1 Mohanad Alhouni
No. 9 Zach Ekstein
No. 17 Patrick Whaling
Central Region Doubles Rankings
No. 1 Alhouni/Whaling
No. 14 Chase Johnson/Tommy Entwistle