A year after winning the Division III ITA Indoor National Championship for the first time in program history, the Case Western Reserve men’s tennis team defended its title.
“In the moment, it doesn’t really feel real,” said senior James Hopper. “There’s really nothing that can describe that feeling.”
The No. 2 Spartans cruised past No. 7 Washington University in the final at the Swanson Tennis Center in St. Peter, Minnesota on Feb. 26.
“It felt incredible,” said senior Diego Maza. “That’s one of the big goals of this team and something the whole team has been working hard for.”
“This senior class has seen this tournament five years now, and we’ve won the past two,” said senior John Kasner. “Being really close as a class has made it really special.”
Case Western is just the third program in the tournament’s history to repeat as champions, and the Spartans have now won 10 straight matches. Even still, there’s work left to be done for head coach Todd Wojtkowski’s team.
While the Spartans have won back-to-back titles at the indoor championships, Case Western has finished runner-up at each of the last two spring NCAA outdoor national championship tournaments. Additionally, the Spartans are still in search of their first-ever conference University Athletic Association title.
“We do have a job that has to be finished,” said Wojtkowski. “I just want to see our name—Cleveland, Ohio, Case Western—to have our brand listed above the other brands.”
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