The Lions men’s tennis team became “Kings of the Tennis Court” as the third-seeded team defeated eighth-seeded and host University of Indianapolis 4-1 at the UIndy Tennis to become the 2023 ITA National Indoor Champions on Feb. 19.
The National Championship win also was coach Chad Berryhill’s 400th career win. “I’ve been blessed to have a great career and truly awesome student-athletes to coach — love them all!” Berryhill said in a news release.
The championship match began in doubles play, but the Greyhounds won the No. 1 and No. 3 doubles matches.
Tao Castillo Bernal and Ivan Marrero won the No. 2 doubles, 6-3.
But the Lions dominated singles play, with the team’s No. 1, Marreo, winning 7-6, 6-2; No. 2 Martin Soukal winning 6-3, 2-6, 7-5; No. 3 Vincent Thiel winning 6-3, 6-3; and No. 5 Luis Iriate winning 6-4, 6-4.
“Super proud of our guys for handling a very tough environment playing UIndy on their home courts and with their fans going crazy,” Berryhill added in the release. “All the hard work is paying off, and I’m super proud of these guys that they call themselves National Champions.”
Additionally, Soukal earned Sunshine State Conference Men’s Tennis Athlete of the Week on Feb. 20 thanks to his play in the tournament. The Czech Republic native won against players ranked 34th and 28th players in the nation, in back-to-back matches.
Up next, the Lions will travel to Valdosta, Georgia, on March 4 for a neutral-site match against Auburn Montgomery at 3 p.m.
