The 2024 Kalamazoo College men's tennis team began pre-season workouts this week and will start its season on Feb. 3 by traveling to North Central. After winning both titles in 2023, the Hornets will look to repeat as MIAA Regular Season and Tournament Champions.
Schedule Breakdown
- The first two matches in February will be on the road against North Central and Oberlin on Feb. 3 and Feb. 11.
- Kalamazoo will host Anderson in its home opener on Feb. 17 and then face Augustana at home the next day.
- The Hornets will kick off March with a home match against Denison on Mar. 2.
- Over spring break, they will face Alma (Mar. 22), Stevens (Mar. 27), and Franklin & Marshall (Mar. 28).
- MIAA play will continue in April as K has three straight home matches against Calvin (Apr. 3), Adrian (Apr. 6), and Albion (Apr. 12).
- The Hornets will then go on the road for three matches against conference opponents Olivet (Apr. 17) and Hope (Apr. 20) while also facing Case Western (Apr. 19) in a non-conference match.
- The regular season will wrap up with two more matches at home against Trine (Apr. 23) to finish the MIAA season and Wisconsin-Whitewater (Apr. 28).
Roster Breakdown
- Kalamazoo returns six players from the 2023 season and will add six new members for 12 heading into 2024.
- The three seniors will lead a team of three juniors, two sophomores, and four freshmen.
Returning Statistical Leaders
- Gabe Vidinas returns for his fifth year following a 2023 performance that got him MIAA Most Valuable Player honors and was selected to the All-MIAA First Team. In the #1 singles and doubles slots, Vidinas finished with a combined 18 wins, with nine coming in conference play.
- Adnan Alousi had the best winning percentage for the Hornets last season, finishing 16-6 in singles and 13-8 in doubles. As a sophomore, Alousi was selected to the All-MIAA Second Team after being a perfect 6-0 in the #3 singles and #2 doubles slots.
Stepping Up
- Parker Foster, Alek Hultberg, Lukas Hultberg, and Tieran Rafferty are returners looking to compete for spots in the lineup. Foster has played in 23 singles and 34 doubles matches throughout his career, while Rafferty has played in 16 singles and 13 doubles matches.
- Tom Clark, Alex Fleming, Lucas Preston, and Harry Spark are also expected to compete for playing time in their first collegiate seasons.
Head Coach Mark Riley
Coach Riley is set to begin his 17th season as the head coach of the Hornets. His teams have compiled an overall record of 218-112 in matches during his time at Kalamazoo, and he earned his 400th career victory against Alma on Apr. 6, 2022. Riley was named Wilson/ITA Central Region Coach of the Year in 2017 after leading the Hornets to an 18-2 record. Under Riley, four different players have earned NCAA III All-American recognition, including recent graduate Ian Yi in 2019, 2021, and 2022. In addition, Riley has coached 30 players to All-MIAA status, including 10 who have been named MIAA MVP. Before arriving at Kalamazoo, Riley spent time as the head men's tennis coach at the University of Pennsylvania (2001-07), the University of Kansas (1997-2000), and Drake University (1994-96).
Quoting Coach Riley
"I am super excited to start my 17th season here at Kalamazoo College. We just started practice this week, and even though we have six new players on the roster, our goals remain the same. That is to do well versus our strong out-of-conference schedule, including #1 Case Western and #25 Wisconsin-Whitewater, win the MIAA regular season, and qualify for the NCAA tournament as the MIAA tournament winner."