University of Delaware Athletics
Men’s Tennis Year In Review
6/15/2022 10:36:00 AM | Men's Tennis
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware men’s tennis team saw its 2021-22 season come to an end in the CAA Semifinals at the end of April. However, the Blue Hens put together one of the best campaigns in program history as the squad accomplished many of its goals and set several program records along the way.
Historic Season in the Books
Delaware finished the season with a 15-9 overall record, but was sitting at just 5-8 in mid-March without having strung two wins together. However, starting with a 6-1 win over St. Francis Brooklyn on March 20 and then gaining serious momentum with three-straight wins over the team's Spring Break trip to South Carolina, the Blue Hens rattled of nine-consecutive wins to close out the regular season. They went 5-0 at the Delaware Tennis Courts on campus during the streak and won all three matches over CAA opponents.
Behind their nine-match winning streak and perfect 4-0 overall record in conference play, the Blue Hens earned the No. 3 seed at the 2022 CAA Championship, the highest seeding in program history. UD would cruise to a 4-1 victory over No. 6 Drexel in the quarterfinals to extend the winning streak to 10 and advance to the semifinals for the first time. Against No. 2 UNCW, the Blue & Gold won the doubles point but the Seahawks came back to claim the first four singles matches to claim the 4-1 victory.
A huge part of the team’s success was the singles play as five different Blue Hens registered at least 10 singles victories in the squad's 24 dual matches. Additionally, in doubles the Blue & Gold registered records of at least .500 at all three positions in dual matches and a .590 winning percentage overall on the season.
The #BlueHens earned the highest seeding in program history as they will be the No. 3? seed at the 2022 CAA Championship this weekend! pic.twitter.com/qLlf8VaM9H
— Delaware Men's Tennis (@DelawareMTEN) April 19, 2022
Immediate Impact
The Blue Hens had a well-balanced lineup all season, receiving contributions from everyone on the roster including three newcomers that made an immediate impact.
Freshman Alexandre Gluck had a fantastic first collegiate season, setting the freshman record with 20 singles victories on the year. After a brilliant fall season in which he went 9-1 in tournament play, Gluck was a key member of the lineup as he appeared in four different spots and was fourth on the team with 11 wins in dual matches. He also won 16 doubles matches, picking up more than half of UD’s wins at the No. 3 position.
Graduate student Pascal Wagemaker didn’t skip a beat in his first season with the Blue & Gold as he posted a 19-12 record in singles play, including a 13-6 mark in dual matches. He went 3-1 against CAA opponents in the regular season and won eight of his final 10 decisions in the regular season. No stranger to tight contests, Wagemaker went 5-2 in three-set matches on the season and had an 8-4 record in sets that went to tiebreakers.
Graduate transfer Tobias Sonne joined the team prior to the spring semester and became a key member of the lineup late in the season as he went 10-3 at the No. 6 slot in dual matches. He won seven-consecutive matches to close out the regular season.
Going Out In Style
At the end of the season, Delaware recognized three members of the program who were playing in their final collegiate season.
Pierce Gilheany came on strong in his final season, posting seven singles wins and co-leading the Blue Hens with 19 victories in doubles. He became a mainstay at the top spot in doubles with senior James Wilkinson where they combined to go 13-6 in dual match play down the stretch.
Guilherme Valdoleiros wrapped up his fifth season in the Blue & Gold with his best year to date, setting a new career high with 21 singles victories, ranking second on UD, and also tied for the team lead with 19 doubles wins. He ended the regular season with 11-straight victories in singles going 8-0 at the No. 5 position and 3-0 when playing at No. 6. Valdoleiros won the deciding point in Delaware’s 4-1 victory in the CAA Quarterfinals to send the squad to its first-ever appearance in the semifinals.
Wagemaker ended his career with a fantastic finish, winning eight of his final 10 matches and ranking fourth on the team overall with 19 singles victories. The Zuid-Scharwoude, Netherlands native was a force at the top of the lineup for the Blue Hens, going 1-0 at No. 1, 8-4 at No. 2 and 4-2 at No. 3 throughout the season.
Gallery: Men's Tennis Senior Day
Fallen Records
The Blue & Gold set or tied four team and individual program records and several Blue Hens also put their names in the record books with several top performances.
Team
Singles Wins - 135 – 1st
Doubles Wins - 59 – T-1st
Individual
James Wilkinson
Singles Matches Played – 35 – 1st
Alexandre Gluck
Freshman Singles Wins – 20 – 1st
Taking Home Some Hardware
Delaware men's tennis team earned a trio of All-CAA honors when the conference announced its postseason awards.
Wilkinson was named to the All-CAA First Team in singles, earning his second-straight All-CAA nod, after completing one of the best singles seasons in program history. He finished with a 24-11 overall record and a 14-7 mark in dual matches, playing at the No. 1 position in every match that he played.
Wilkinson and Gilheany both receive their first All-CAA selection in doubles as they went 13-6 as a duo, including a 10-6 record as UD's top pairing in dual matches. They opened the season with a 3-0 showing at the Joe Hunt Invite, and then were reunited again in the spring and played the final 16 matches of the season together.
Wagemaker was selected to the All-CAA Second Team in singles to earn his first All-CAA honor in his first year as a Blue Hen after posting a 19-12 record on the season. He had a 13-6 mark in dual matches, playing at all three of the top positions in the lineup.
For the latest on the Delaware men's tennis program, follow the Blue Hens on Twitter @DelawareMTEN and Instagram @DelawareMTen.
