North Dakota advanced to the Summit League Championship match after defeating Oral Roberts 4-1 in the semifinal round of the 2026 Summit League Men’s Tennis Championship on April 24 at the Michael D. Case Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The victory allows North Dakota to compete for its second consecutive league title, reflecting the team’s progress and determination throughout the season.
Head coach Tom Boysen said, “This team has grown up so quickly in a short period of time. They have embraced challenges head on. There’s a learning curve to accept the fact that doing things the right way doesn’t ensure a victory, but it gives you a chance.” North Dakota started strong by sweeping the doubles point with wins from Justin Ilic and Kotaro Matsumura at No. 2 doubles and Christos Alex and Darrshan Suresh Kumar at No. 1 doubles, both with scores of 6-4.
In singles play, Leo Galliano secured a win at No. 1 singles (6-3, 6-2), followed by Alex winning at No. 5 (6-0, 7-5) to give North Dakota a comfortable lead. Although Oral Roberts’ Parv Nage earned their team’s only point with a comeback win over Ilic at No. 4 singles (0-6, 6-1, 6-4), Suresh Kumar clinched victory for North Dakota by defeating Luis Marcos Bonifasi (6-2, 3-6, 6-3) at No. 2 singles.
Boysen praised his players’ commitment: “These guys truly want to put their own mark on the UND men’s tennis program,” he said. “I am so happy that they are seeing success this soon.” The Fighting Hawks will now face top-seeded Denver in a rematch of last year’s title match where Denver won decisively.
Looking ahead to Saturday’s championship match against Denver, Boysen said: “Finding a way to win with 200-plus fans cheering for the other team was a fantastic testament to our tenacity and grit. We will give everything we’ve got to bring a championship to UND tomorrow.”
