April 25, 2026
Ferris State men’s tennis team earns GLIAC Tournament Championship, women’s team finishes second
The Ferris State University men's tennis squad completed a season sweep of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships as the top-seeded Bulldogs defeated Wayne State University on Saturday.
The women's tennis squad fell to rival Grand Valley State University in the GLIAC Tournament Championship Match, earning runner-up honors.
The men’s team claimed the GLIAC Tournament title for the sixth time in the last 10 times it has been awarded, beating the Warriors for the second time this year in a tightly contested match.
The Bulldogs started strong by winning the doubles point, earning 6-2 wins from Erik Kovacs and Adrian Catahan at one doubles along with Kacper Pasielak and Milo Leuenberger at three doubles.
In singles action, the Bulldogs' Jose Perez was a decisive winner by a 6-2, 6-2 count at two singles and Praneel Pichika claimed a 6-4, 6-2 win at the fourth spot in the lineup. However, WSU found straight-set wins at three, five and six singles.
The match came down to one singles match where Ferris State standout and GLIAC Player of the Year Kevin Kovacs fought back to clinch the win. He dropped the first set to Wayne State's George Day 7-5, but battled for a 6-2 triumph in the second set and a 6-4 victory in the third and deciding frame.
Ferris State, now 17-3, also swept the GLIAC's regular-season and tournament titles from 2016-18 along with 2021 and 2024. This year's league tournament championship was the Bulldogs' first postseason championship since the 2024 crown.
The Bulldogs, who were ranked second in the most recent NCAA D2 Midwest Regional Rankings, will next take part in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Tournament with the pairings and teams making the field slated to be announced on May 4.
The second-seeded women’s team reached the title match by beating Davenport 4-0 in the semifinals on Friday, but could not duplicate the feat in the league title showdown.
Grand Valley State earned the doubles point with wins of 6-3 and 6-2 at one and two doubles, respectively.
In singles play, Ferris State's Maria Hernandez came away with a 6-4, 6-1 victory at the fourth spot in the Bulldog lineup, but GVSU claimed straight-set victories at three, five and six singles to clinch the win. Both the one and two singles positions were tied 1-1 going into the third frame when the match finished.
The Bulldogs dropped to 13-7 overall with the setback and closed both the regular-season and postseason as the runner-up in the GLIAC.
Ferris State was ranked third in this past week's NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Rankings and in line for a postseason tournament bid.