The collegiate tennis circuit was buzzing with energy and fierce competition on October 3, 2025, as teams across the country delivered standout performances and set the stage for a thrilling weekend of matches. From dominant team showings in Conway, South Carolina, to promising starts in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and spirited opening rounds in Merion Station, Pennsylvania, college tennis fans had plenty to cheer about. Let’s dive into the highlights and storylines shaping this action-packed Friday.
At the Stevens Tennis Complex in Conway, the Coastal Carolina men's tennis team put on a show for the home crowd, overwhelming the Campbell Fighting Camels with a remarkable 16-2 record across a doubleheader. The Chanticleers didn’t just win—they dominated, going undefeated in doubles play and seeing three of their stars, Iannis Fernandes, Curzio Manucci, and Enzo Garutti, notch perfect 4-0 records for the day. Talk about setting a high bar!
Round one kicked off with a nail-biter, as Jack Dixon and Christopher Norlin edged out Campbell’s Matias Lofink and Adi Dagan in a tense 7-6(4) tiebreak. That momentum carried through the rest of doubles play, with Fernandes and Manucci defeating Alex Fragasso and Arush Gupta 6-4, and Rivers Cahill teaming up with Garutti to dispatch Ethan Richardson and Aleksandar Hudjec 6-1. The singles courts were no less competitive—Norlin claimed a gritty 6-4, 7-6(3) win, while Dixon, Manucci, Garutti, and Fernandes each secured victories, with Manucci and Garutti dropping just two games apiece.
If you thought the Chanticleers might ease up in round two, think again. Fernandes and Manucci again took their doubles match in a tiebreak, 7-6(4), while Dixon paired with Garutti for a 6-2 win and Cahill joined Juan Cruz Collardin for a 6-3 victory. In singles, Collardin bounced back with a 7-5, 6-0 win, Manucci survived a third-set super tiebreak 1-0(10-8), and Garutti, Fernandes, and Cahill each won in straight sets. The only blemishes on the day were two singles losses, one by retirement and another in a pair of close tiebreaks, highlighting just how dominant Coastal Carolina was from start to finish.
Meanwhile, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard women’s tennis launched its home campaign at the Harvard Fall Classic, notching five total wins on the opening day. The doubles pairings of Charlotte Owensby and Kate Kim, as well as Natasha Rajaram and Kavya Karra, set the tone early with hard-fought victories over Boston University duos—Owensby and Kim winning 6-4, and Rajaram and Karra coming through 7-5 in a spirited contest. The Crimson’s energy was palpable as they transitioned into singles play.
Kavya Karra, who led Harvard in singles wins last season, wasted no time picking up her first victory of the year, dispatching Blanka DeMicheli 6-1, 6-1. Kate Kim followed suit, showing resilience by rallying past Ellie Gyuro in a third-set tiebreaker, 4-6, 6-4, 10-4. The story of the day, however, may have belonged to first-year Claire Shao, who made an emphatic collegiate debut with a commanding 6-0, 6-2 win over Rhea Rai. While Harvard did face tough singles losses at the hands of BU’s Gabriella Mikaul and Lauren Kettlewell, the Crimson’s strong start bodes well as play continues at Beren Tennis Center.
Looking further south to San Marcos, Texas, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women’s tennis team is primed and ready for the Texas State River State Shoot-Out, which kicks off Saturday and runs through Sunday. The tournament features a round-robin format, bringing together individual competitors from Texas State, Incarnate Word, Northwestern State, and Stephen F. Austin. UTRGV is sending a quartet of talented athletes: sophomores Mariia Bakhtina and Luna Buijtenhuijs, along with seniors Barbara Martinez and Valentina Urraco.
Bakhtina and Buijtenhuijs are set to compete in Flight 3 doubles, while Martinez and Urraco will take on Flight 4. In singles, Bakhtina lines up in Flight 5, Buijtenhuijs in Flight 6, and the seniors Martinez and Urraco are slotted in Flights 7 and 8, respectively. With both singles and doubles following a round-robin structure, every player will have ample opportunity to test their mettle against a range of opponents. The Vaqueros’ mix of youth and experience could make them a team to watch as the weekend unfolds.
Not to be outdone, the Saint Joseph’s University men’s tennis team kicked off their own invitational at the SJU Tennis Complex in Merion Station, Pennsylvania. Five Hawks soared into the quarterfinals of their respective singles flights, setting a positive tone for the tournament. Santiago Valle was in top form, dispatching Drexel’s Will Burridge with a flawless 6-0, 6-0 performance in the Hawk Hill flight. In the Crimson flight, Othman Bezzaz and Davi Carlos each cruised to victory with identical 6-2, 6-1 scores, defeating Severin Risan (NJIT) and Alberto Blumenschein (Temple), respectively.
Jakob Gaudreau Barnes battled through a tight match to overcome Ethan Carr of Villanova 7-5, 6-4 in the Gray flight, while Hector Fullone secured a convincing 6-1, 6-2 win over Alejandro Rodriguez of Haverford in the Black flight. In doubles, Carlos and Valle teamed up for a 6-3 win over Villanova’s Carr and Kush Anand, providing another highlight for the Hawks. While other doubles pairings for Saint Joseph’s came up short, the singles successes give the team plenty of momentum as play continues into the weekend.
Across all these venues, the common thread was clear: collegiate tennis is alive and thriving, with both established stars and emerging talents making their mark. Whether it’s the dominance of Coastal Carolina’s men, the promising start for Harvard’s women, the anticipation building in San Marcos for UTRGV, or the strong opening by the Saint Joseph’s Hawks, fans are being treated to high-level tennis and plenty of storylines to follow.
With action set to continue through the weekend, all eyes will be on these teams and players to see who can maintain their early momentum, pull off surprises, or make a statement as the fall season heats up. Stay tuned—this is college tennis at its best, and the best may be yet to come.
