by Greg Chandler

The Hope College men's tennis team started off Friday night's Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament championship match at traditional powerhouse Kalamazoo College by taking two of the three doubles matches.

However, the Flying Dutchmen could not carry that early momentum over into the singles matches, as the Hornets won four consecutive flights to defeat Hope, 5-2, at the Markin Center to claim the tournament championship and the MIAA's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III national tournament.

The Flying Dutchmen, who finished second to Kalamazoo in the MIAA standings with a 6-1 conference record, finished the season at 8-13.

Hope recorded flight victories at first and third doubles. At first doubles, juniors Cameron Coates of Stevensville, Michigan (Laurel Springs Schoo) and Jacob Burkett of Clarkston, Michigan (Clarkston) edged out the Hornets' Ian Yi and Peter Fitzgerald in a tiebreaker, 8-7 (9).

Then at third doubles, senior Tyler Koran of Salinas, California (Salinas) and sophomore Justin Fay of Naperville, Illinois (St. Francis) put together a strong performance in defeating Kalamazoo's Gabe Vidinas and Parker Foster 8-3.

The Hornets swept each of the first four singles flights in straight sets. The closest Hope got to winning a set was at fourth singles, where junior Matt Henkel of Traverse City, Michigan [Traverse City Central] battled Kalamazoo's Casey Johnson in the first set before falling 6-4, 6-0.

It was third consecutive MIAA tournament where Hope reached the championship match, not counting 2020, where the league season and tournament were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.