Men’s tennis turns focus to crucial conference matches

After a five-match losing streak to begin the second half of the season, the men’s tennis team found its footing over spring break.

The Vikings picked up a statement win on March 12, defeating No. 2-ranked East Coast Conference (ECC) St. Thomas Aquinas Spartans 4–2 during their spring trip in Orlando, Florida.

However, the team’s record doesn’t fully reflect its level of play. Many early-season losses came against strong non-conference opponents, often in tightly contested matches.

“We lost a lot of matches that were super close,” junior team captain Thomas Kano said.

Now in its sixth season competing in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA), the program continues to build toward consistency. The Vikings earned their first conference win in program history last season against Nebraska-Kearney and are aiming to take another step forward this year.

“Our main goal is to make it to the conference tournament and in order to do that we need to win two conference matches,” Kano said.

In Division II tennis, conference results determine postseason qualification, making the final stretch of the season especially important.

Inclement weather forced the cancellation of an April 4 conference match against Southeastern Oklahoma State, leaving Augustana with three remaining matches—all within conference play.

That stretch includes an April 3 matchup against nationally ranked Northwest Missouri State and a pivotal April 24 home contest against Emporia State. The latter could ultimately determine whether the Vikings qualify for the conference tournament.

“Playing here on campus in front of the home crowd is very special for us.” Kano said, "I'm looking forward to having a really good crowd cheering for us.”

The matchup against Emporia State will also serve as Senior Day for Clayton Poppenga and Jose 'Toño' Velasco as they close out their collegiate careers.

Freshman Tadeusz Michalowski is expected to play a key role down the stretch. Due to NCAA eligibility delays, he missed earlier home competition and will be making his home debut late in the season.

“He’s a really smart and really competitive player,” head coach Marc Kurtz said. “He always plays the right shot, while being quick for a taller guy.”

Michalowski brings an extensive competitive background, having played tennis since age eight and competing in tournaments across Europe since he was 13.

Throughout the season, Kurtz has experimented with doubles pairings to find the right combinations. Michalowski was initially paired with fellow freshman Max Schmidt before settling into a partnership with sophomore Pedro Pinto.

“I really enjoyed playing with Max, but the coach decided that that's not the way to go,” Michalowski said.

According to Kurtz, the roster’s depth has become one of its biggest strengths. With contributions from freshmen Enzo Moretti and Keagan Lowman alongside Schmidt, Pinto and Michalowski, the Vikings have developed a lineup with interchangeable pieces.

Switching from individual play to team play can be a huge shift for freshmen, while upperclassmen step up to their positions and help younger players settle in with the rest of the team.

“The older guys know what to do,” Kurtz said.

Having experienced the same jarring difference as freshmen themselves, players like Kano are able to help their younger teammates in dealing with the differences.

“Everyone is trying their best,” Kurtz said.

Kurtz said that while the team is full of new faces and fighting to come back from a tough start to the season, he remains hopeful that his team can manage to grab the two wins needed to make regionals.