CLAREMONT, Calif. -
Advik Mareedu and
Caleb Settles won a 6-2 decision in doubles and then captured the first and third singles wins for the Stags, respectively, as the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's tennis team earned a 4-0 win over Pomona-Pitzer in the SCIAC Tournament championship match at the Biszantz Family Tennis Center.
With the win, CMS improves to 30-1 and wins its 19th straight SCIAC title since 2006 (with no championship in 2020 or 2021 due to the pandemic), earning the SCIAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Pomona-Pitzer falls to 14-13 with the loss and will await a possible at-large selection.
The Stags dominated doubles, with Mareedu and Settles earning a 6-2 win, which was matched by
Josh Kim and
Sibi Raja at No. 2. The third match was halted after the Stags clinched the doubles point, as
Henry Wilson and
Anirudh Reddy were up two breaks with a 4-1 lead at No. 3.
CMS looked ready to cruise to a quick title clinch, needing just three courts to secure the championship. Mareedu and Settles each won their first sets 6-0, and
Warren Pham won his 6-2 at No. 2. The Sagehens put up a fight, though, as Mareedu led 6-0, 4-0 at No. 1 before Drew Goldman won two straight games. Mareedu was able to break back, though, and take a 6-0, 6-2 win at No. 1 to make the score 2-0.
Pham had two match points at No. 2, leading 6-2, 5-1, but Leo Rocca was able to fight them off to stay in the match, but Pham painted the baseline with a winner to finish off a 6-2, 6-2 win and make it 3-0.
The fourth point, though, took some work as Luke Feng battled Settles in the second set and led 5-3, looking for a split. Settles, though, was able to win four games in a row, capping off the match with a backhand return winner for a 6-0, 7-5 win at No. 6.
Raja was in good shape at No. 4 when his match was halted, leading 6-3, 4-2, while Wilson had just won a tiebreaker at No. 3 and led 7-6, 3-0. Kim was down a set but up 5-3 in the second at No. 5 when the clinch was earned.
CMS will next await its NCAA Tournament destination and opponents when the brackets are revealed on Monday. The Stags have reached the NCAA Division III Semifinals three years in a row, including a national finalist appearance in 2024.
