Vanderbilt University’s men’s tennis team was eliminated from the NCAA Men’s Tennis Championship after a 4-0 defeat to No. 14 Illinois at the Atkins Tennis Center in Champaign on May 2.
The match concluded Vanderbilt’s season, which saw the team reach its first NCAA Tournament win since 2019 and secure an NCAA berth for the second time in three seasons under head coach Scott Brown. The Commodores finished with an overall record of 18-13, their highest win total since achieving 19 victories in 2018.
Illinois took control early by winning doubles matches on Courts 2 and 3. In singles play, Illinois continued their momentum by securing first sets across all six courts. Kenta Miyoshi, ranked No. 16 nationally, earned the first singles point by defeating Hoyoung Roh of Vanderbilt. William Mroz and Jeremy Zhang added points for Illinois to seal the victory before other matches could be completed.
The final score reflected wins for Illinois in both doubles (with victories from pairs Mroz/Bowers and Viiala/Bakonyi) and singles (Miyoshi over Roh, Mroz over Panarin, Zhang over Hwang). Several other singles matches were unfinished as Illinois clinched the necessary points for advancement.
Vanderbilt’s appearance marked another step forward under Brown’s leadership as they continue to build on recent successes.
