Friday, September 12
Montgomery, Alabama
1 PM
Rice University
vs
Blue Gray National Tennis Classic
Photo by: Copyright Rojo Photography / Brett Rojo
Men's Tennis Splits Up to Open Season
9/11/2025 10:09:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Blue Gray National Tennis Classic and Waco Fall Kickoff Classic
Blue Gray Results
Waco Results
After a stunning run through to the American Conference Men's Tennis Championship as the fifth seed last year, Rice men's head coach Efe Ustundag knows his Owls will not be taken lightly as they launch the defense of their title.
The first step in that process begins on Friday as the Owls will split into two units to open their season, with one group taking part in the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic in Montgomery, Alabama, and a second group will stay in state at the Waco Fall Kickoff.
Tommy Czaplinski, Joshua Mandelbaum, and Gabriel Porras will be joined by freshman Rafael Botran in Alabama, while 2025 Sammy Giamalva Award winner Petro Kuzmenok, Kabeer Kapasi, Yair Sarouk, and newcomer Noey Do will head north to Waco.
"We've got one group going against the SEC and ACC and the other taking on the state of Texas, so this will be a great opportunity for all the guys to get back into competition," Ustundag said. "I know we'll compete and this will give us a good indication of what to focus on during the fall."
The Blue Gray Classic has been a longtime spring staple on the collegiate tennis circuit, with the Owls winning the team title in 2017, which has moved to the fall to allow SEC teams some flexibility in their dual schedules after the expansion of the conference required additional conference duals.
"They are trying to maintain as much of the experience that made it such a memorable trip for teams, and I'll be interested to see how it plays out."
The hallmark of the 2025 title run was contributions throughout the lineup and Rice returns players responsible for eight of their nine singles wins on their march to the title (Kapasi 3; Kuzmenok & Santiago Navarro 2; Czaplinski 1) while adding newcomers Botran and Do to the mix.
"We're in a good position in terms of both quality and quantity, and guys are going to know that they'll have to play well to stay in the lineup. You can see that depth already in the first weeks of practice and how they push each other."
It was easy to forget some of the struggles during the season thanks to the sparkling finish in Memphis, but Ustundag said those close losses in the regular season serve as a reminder for the challenges ahead.
"I think this is a group that gets it. No one is taking anything that happened last season for granted and they all know we have a lot of work to do. We were very close to not having a very good season, but the finish showed how good we could be. The excitement is definitely there, and everybody is thinking bigger."
Waco Results
After a stunning run through to the American Conference Men's Tennis Championship as the fifth seed last year, Rice men's head coach Efe Ustundag knows his Owls will not be taken lightly as they launch the defense of their title.
The first step in that process begins on Friday as the Owls will split into two units to open their season, with one group taking part in the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic in Montgomery, Alabama, and a second group will stay in state at the Waco Fall Kickoff.
Tommy Czaplinski, Joshua Mandelbaum, and Gabriel Porras will be joined by freshman Rafael Botran in Alabama, while 2025 Sammy Giamalva Award winner Petro Kuzmenok, Kabeer Kapasi, Yair Sarouk, and newcomer Noey Do will head north to Waco.
"We've got one group going against the SEC and ACC and the other taking on the state of Texas, so this will be a great opportunity for all the guys to get back into competition," Ustundag said. "I know we'll compete and this will give us a good indication of what to focus on during the fall."
The Blue Gray Classic has been a longtime spring staple on the collegiate tennis circuit, with the Owls winning the team title in 2017, which has moved to the fall to allow SEC teams some flexibility in their dual schedules after the expansion of the conference required additional conference duals.
"They are trying to maintain as much of the experience that made it such a memorable trip for teams, and I'll be interested to see how it plays out."
The hallmark of the 2025 title run was contributions throughout the lineup and Rice returns players responsible for eight of their nine singles wins on their march to the title (Kapasi 3; Kuzmenok & Santiago Navarro 2; Czaplinski 1) while adding newcomers Botran and Do to the mix.
"We're in a good position in terms of both quality and quantity, and guys are going to know that they'll have to play well to stay in the lineup. You can see that depth already in the first weeks of practice and how they push each other."
It was easy to forget some of the struggles during the season thanks to the sparkling finish in Memphis, but Ustundag said those close losses in the regular season serve as a reminder for the challenges ahead.
"I think this is a group that gets it. No one is taking anything that happened last season for granted and they all know we have a lot of work to do. We were very close to not having a very good season, but the finish showed how good we could be. The excitement is definitely there, and everybody is thinking bigger."
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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