The Case Western Reserve University men’s and women’s tennis teams concluded their fall seasons this past weekend and will take a break from competition until their official campaigns resume, in November for the men and February for the women.

Throughout September, the men’s team competed in six invitationals, often splitting their 25-player roster into two groups to participate in multiple events simultaneously.

Overall the men have opened the season on a strong note. Fourth-year Matthew Plunkett said the team has made a statement this fall but emphasized that early success doesn’t necessarily translate to results in the spring.

“Sometimes it can be hard to judge the team’s success in the fall,” Plunkett said. “Last year our fall season was generally below our standard, but we brought it around in the spring to have a great season. This year we won more matches than we did last year, and while there is always room to improve, we were able to show the other teams that we are a force to be reckoned with.”

From Sept. 26-29, the Spartans competed in the ITA Fall Regional Championship, finishing with a combined 14-6 record in singles and 6-4 in doubles play. Third-year George Kosseifi, seeded ninth overall, advanced to the semifinals of the singles draw, while second-year Jon Totorica, seeded 17th, reached the quarterfinals. In doubles, the duo of graduate student Bryce Ware and third-year Trey Lambright, also seeded ninth, made it to the semifinals before being eliminated.

“Ultimately we fell just short of our goal of sending our players to the ITA national championships, but we did have a few big wins, and a few of our guys got quite far,” Plunkett said. “Heading into the off-season we can feel confident knowing we have a full lineup of guys that can win against the best players in the country, but at the same time we will work harder to get back from losing a couple key matches towards the end of the tournament.”

With a deep roster featuring two graduate students and six fourth-years, the team boasts a strong foundation of experience and leadership. Plunkett views the roster size as an advantage, highlighting the balanced mix of veteran players and newcomers.

“The size of our roster is definitely unique compared to most other tennis teams in the NCAA, but with our team culture being so strong we can make it a positive,” Plunkett said. “We have a good mix this year of guys returning from last year’s team, and newcomers, with three transfers that can bring their success at other schools to our program. The goal is always to leave the program in a better place than we found it, so while us upperclassmen may be responsible for a lot of the team’s success this year, it is also up to us to lead the younger guys effectively so they can take over our role in a year or two.”

Coming off a standout 2024-25 campaign that ended with a UAA championship and a national runner-up finish to Denison University, the team is eager to carry that momentum into the new season.

“With an NCAA championship and three other finals appearances in the last five years, we are setting the standard that Case Tennis is the best program in the country,” Plunkett said. “It hurt last year that we were unable to finish the last step in bringing home the championship, but it will not slow us down, and this year will be yet another year where we will be competing for titles, and to end the year in the top spot.”

The women have also started the season strong, competing in three invitationals throughout September. Fourth-year Katalina Wang said she feels encouraged by the team’s early performances and confident in their chemistry and potential as the season progresses.

“I think our team is doing great things so far,” Wang said. “Obviously, we had most of our lineup graduate last year, but I’ve seen the rest of the team step up so much to fill those shoes and grow so much in their game in such a short amount of time. The freshman class is also adapting well to the competitive atmosphere. The vibes are definitely so up.”

The Spartans also competed in the ITA Fall Regional Championship from Sept. 19-21, finishing with an overall 14-9 record, including 8-6 in singles and 6-3 in doubles play.

Wang led the way with an impressive run to the semifinals of the singles draw. She also teamed up with first-year Gabby Lee to reach the quarterfinals in doubles earlier in the weekend. Wang closed out the tournament with a 3-1 singles record and a 2-1 doubles record, improving her season marks to 7-1 in singles and 6-3 in doubles.

“It was amazing to make it this far in the tournament, but it was extremely special to do it in front of the team and our supporters that came out to the site,” Wang said. “In my previous years competing at this tournament, I looked up to some of the older girls on the team and was inspired by their performance. Now being the oldest on the team this semester, it was surreal to be competing that far in the tournament with the support of the entire team courtside.”

Contrary to the men, the women’s roster is notably young, featuring just two fourth-years and six first-years. Despite the team’s youth, Wang remains optimistic about the season. As the only senior currently on campus, since fellow fourth-year Ellior Rose is studying abroad, Wang has embraced the chance to lead the group while also learning from her younger teammates.

“Our team may not have as much experience, as 5/6 of our starting lineup last year graduated,” Wang said. “However, there is a new excitement that is brought with such a young class and they all show incredible work ethic and a hunger to get better…It has been a great experience being the only senior on such a young team, but they make me a better person and push me to be someone I hope they can look up to.”

To prepare for the upcoming season, the Spartans will continue weekly team lifts and captain-led practices. Second-year Sara Fernandez believes the team has the talent to win the UAA but recognizes that achieving that goal will require relentless effort and energy from everyone.

“I feel like our goal is always to have a competitive season, but obviously looking towards UAAs is the bigger point I think,” Fernandez said. “To do well there we’re all going to have to put our best foot forward on and off the court. I feel like especially in tennis, energy is very contagious, good or bad.”

The men will return to action at the Zach Barden Memorial Invite from Nov. 14-16, while the women will resume play against Hope College on Feb. 6.