PROGRAM ORIGINS AND MILESTONES

The first Hope College men's tennis match with an outside opponent occurred in 1916 against Grand Rapids YMCA.

In a sport dominated so long by one team, Hope has the distinction of being up to the challenge. While MIAA member Kalamazoo College has won every conference title since 1936, the Flying Dutchmen on three occasions (thru 2013) have forced a seasonal co-championship. In 1962, Hope stopped Kalamazoo's dual meet winning streak at 155 in-a-row, edging the Hornets 4-3. Over the next 41 years, Kalamazoo strung together 241 consecutive dual meet victories, but again it was Hope ending it with a convincing 7-2 triumph on April 15, 2003. The 2013 race was the most exciting in MIAA history with a three-way tie for first place involving Hope, rival Calvin and Kalamazoo. In league duals Calvin defeated Kalamazoo, then Kalamazoo topped Hope and in the season-ending match, Hope edged Calvin 5-4 to create the co-championship. 

In 2014, the Hope men's tennis team was awarded the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Team Sportsmanship Award for men's tennis for the month of May.

PLAYERS OF NOTE

In 1969, seniors Doug Barrow '69 and Ron Visscher '69 finished fourth in doubles at the NCAA College Division tournament. A three-time All-MIAA honoree, Visscher holds the Hope career record for singles victories (62-22). 

Only a freshman, Tom De Weert '82 was the first Hope player to be invited to the restructured Division III championship. He lost in the first round. 

Dan Mann '03 is the only Hope player in men's tennis history to receive All-MIAA First Team honors four consecutive years (2000-2003). As a junior, he received the league's sportsmanship award and as a senior he was chosen the league's most valuable player.

Pictured right, John Pelton returns a backhand in 2009

In 2008, John Pelton went undefeated in conference dual matches and at the conference tournament, becoming the first non-Kalamazoo College player to go through league play undefeated at first flight singles. Pelton's 22 wins in 2008 was a Hope record for victories in a season. He was All-MIAA in 2008 and 2009 and MVP in 2009.

Bob Cawood went undefeated in league dual matches (6-0) and posted an overall 21-4 record in Hope's 2013 MIAA championship season. He was named the MIAA Most Valuable Player 2013, the third time in six years that the league's top honor went to a Hope player.

Jacob Burkett was voted MIAA Most Valuable Player in 2021. The sophomore went 7-0 at No. 1 singles in MIAA play and 5-1 at No. 1 doubles.

COACHES OF NOTE

Lawrence "Doc" Green guided Hope's tennis fortunes for more than two decades until his untimely death on January 24, 1982. His teams had only five losing campaigns over 22 seasons, compiling an 84-24 record in league matches. A member of the Hope faculty from 1952 to 1982, he also served as Hope's athletic trainer and had stints as the cross country and track & field coach. The MIAA named a men’s tennis student-scholar award in his honor.

Steve Gorno served as head coach of the Flying Dutchmen from 23 years from 1993 to 2015. He led Hope to two league co-championships (2003, 2013), had a streak of 12 winning seasons from 1995 to 2006,  coached three All-Americans (Dan Mann, Kevney Dugan and John Pelton) and finished his career with a 266-217 overall dual-meet record. A testament to Gorno's coaching philosophy was the number of times his players received the MIAA's Stowe Sportsmanship Award (14 times in 23 years).