ITA Kickoff 4-1 upset over No. 14 Tennessee builds No. 25 Michigan’s confidence

The No. 25 Michigan men’s tennis team’s dominance at the ITA Kickoff Tournament set a strong precedent for the Wolverines’ upcoming season, advancing them to the ITA Indoor National Championships. Saturday’s win against Auburn left the team’s confidence high.

And Sunday’s upset only furthered that confidence, as Michigan (3-0 overall) beat the Volunteers (3-2), 4-1.

With home-court advantage and a recent win against Illinois, Tennessee had high hopes. However, Michigan’s dominance and competitive spirit gave it a significant lead over the Volunteers.

The opening doubles match steered the competition in Michigan’s favor, with the Wolverines scoring the first point. Sophomore Alex Cairo and senior Will Cooksey’s on-court cohesion was an integral part of Michigan’s success, making its doubles point an easy achievement. The additional set won by junior Benjamin Kittay and senior Patorn Hanchaikul combined with that of Cairo and Cooksey created a strong momentum for the team throughout the match.

“I think we just put a big emphasis on winning the doubles point, especially at away games,” Cooksey said. “I think we’re a tough team to beat, so it was really big.”

Cooksey’s confidence in Michigan being a “tough team to beat” emphasizes the Wolverines’ confidence going into the season. The players’ collective positive attitude radiated through their 4-hour-long match, and proved critical for their additional three points won in singles matches.

After the first singles match, the Volunteers trailed Michigan 2-0, with Kittay earning the team its second point. However, Tennessee attempted to come back from its deficit, earning a point after the second singles set and heightening competition as the Volunteers tried to reclaim their home court advantage. 

While Tennessee’s attempt proved successful in the second singles set, its hopes ultimately faltered, with the Wolverines winning the following two singles sets to close out the match. Cooksey led Michigan to success in his third singles set, facing toe-to-toe competition with Volunteers Jose Garcia and giving the Wolverines a steady 3-1 lead.

Michigan only needed one more point to win the match in its fourth singles matchup, which it easily secured through junior Nicholas Steiglehner’s triumph against Tennessee player Alejandro Moreno. Steiglehner’s winning point helped the Wolverines find their confidence to propel them through the rest of the season.

“I think we’re developing an identity of a really tough team,” Cooksey said. “We learned that we can beat a top-ranked team at their place, so that was pretty convincing for us.”

The convincing nature of Michigan’s stint in the ITA Kickoff Tournament will give the Wolverines momentum for success through the Indoor National Championships. Cooksey’s victories in both his doubles and singles sets provided a pathway to dominance for the Wolverines, allowing them to embrace the tough identity they intend to develop.

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