Kalamazoo College's Branden Metzler was named MIAA Men's Tennis Player of the Week on Monday. The season's first award includes all matches played through Feb. 28.
A junior from Rockford, Ill., Metzler is 5-0 in singles this spring and is ranked No. 18 in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division III men's singles rankings. Four of his match wins at No. 1 singles are in straight sets. Metzler has dropped only one set in his quintet of matches, to No. 20 Jake Humphreys, and bounced back to win the final two sets on scores of 6-4 to remain perfect.
The Hornet also plays at No. 1 doubles with Elan Dantus. The pair is 3-2 this season with wins over lake Forest, Carthage and Luther. One of the duo's setbacks was a tight 9-7 loss in extra games against a No. 7 pairing from Wisconsin-Whitewater.
The award marks Metzler's first Player of the Week nod this season and fifth honor of his career.
The Kalamazoo College men's tennis team is 4-1 this season and returns to action at Denison University this Saturday, March 5.