Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
COLUMN: Champions Win on Sundays
4/23/2023 8:16:00 PM | Men's Tennis, BRAA
MTSU Men’s Tennis wins its fourth C-USA title in a row on a Sunday that showed why they’ve been so lethal during that reign
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Marcel Kamrowski had four match points to play with in his final game.
Leading 40-0 in the game and 5-3 in the set, he had plenty of chances ahead of him to clinch the fourth straight Conference USA title for Middle Tennessee men's tennis. But anyone in attendance in Houston, Texas, or watching his match on Court 5 from home on the website provided by host Rice, knew that the freshman wouldn't need those extra match points.
Not with how his serve had dominated UTSA's Danijal Muminovic this game. Not with the fact he was alone on his court, his teammates beside him that day, Ondrej Horak and Pavel Motl, having easily rolled to wins on Courts 4 and 6, respectively, giving MTSU a 3-0 lead after the Blue Raiders won doubles earlier in the afternoon.
No, Kamrowski only needed this serve. And when Muminovic couldn't even return it over the net, the Gdansk, Poland native could only collapse in place on the hard court.
It was the fourth straight Conference USA title for MTSU, making it the fourth straight for fifth-year seniors Stjin Slump, Francisco Rocha and Pavel Motl as well. But for Kamrowski, it was his first. And it wasn't hard to tell what the moment meant to him, what it meant to all the Blue Raiders on the court in Houston, as he was mobbed by his teammates and Head Coach Jimmy Borendame yelled in exaltation to the fans who traveled.
For me, watching from home in Murfreesboro, it was a classic MTSU men's tennis win that showed why the program has had such staying power since Borendame took the helm in 2011. His teams can win these dual matches in so many ways. There's not a lot of teams that can have that much confidence in their guys on 4, 5, and 6 like Borendame and his staff have in theirs.
So many times, these collegiate teams must win the battle on Courts 1 and 2, best on best, to get to four points against topflight teams, which UTSA, ranked No. 41 in the nation entering today, surely qualifies. Teams can cruise, sure, against lesser competition with the back half of their lineup. But in these tournament settings, you need players to get points on those back courts. Their matches count just as much, after all.
In 2022, it was Stepan Holis on Court 4 and Motl on Court 6 that got two points in a 4-3 win over Charlotte. In 2021, Tom Moonen on Court 3 and Chris Edge on Court 4, with Motl with a chance to win late on Court 5 that wasn't needed against Old Dominion. And in 2019, the first of title in this four-peat, Edge on Court 5 and Max Rauch on Court 4 got the job done against FAU.
Of course, a team needs to have its top of the lineup strong as well, which Slump, Rocha and Oskar Brostrom Poulsen have provided all season on Courts 1-3. It also doesn't hurt that MTSU has been dominant in doubles all season as well, losing the doubles point just six times all season (including four of the team's seven losses).
But these matches can be, are often, won on the back courts, and players like Horak (19-4 in singles), Kamrowski (16-8) and Motl (17-5) taking care of business in those spots win championships.
And to briefly look ahead to the future, knowing that MTSU will have a chance to make plenty of noise in the NCAA Tournament thanks to their automatic bid, having freshmen like Horak, like Kamrowski, get experience in those big moments will only play dividends down the line, as fifth-year seniors like Slump, Rocha and Motl move on from collegiate tennis.
For now though, I'm soaking in the moment, like Kamrowski did on the hard courts dried after a day of rain in Houston, Texas. Ready to see the story continue for Blue Raider Men's Tennis, for the fourth post-season in a row.
Leading 40-0 in the game and 5-3 in the set, he had plenty of chances ahead of him to clinch the fourth straight Conference USA title for Middle Tennessee men's tennis. But anyone in attendance in Houston, Texas, or watching his match on Court 5 from home on the website provided by host Rice, knew that the freshman wouldn't need those extra match points.
Not with how his serve had dominated UTSA's Danijal Muminovic this game. Not with the fact he was alone on his court, his teammates beside him that day, Ondrej Horak and Pavel Motl, having easily rolled to wins on Courts 4 and 6, respectively, giving MTSU a 3-0 lead after the Blue Raiders won doubles earlier in the afternoon.
No, Kamrowski only needed this serve. And when Muminovic couldn't even return it over the net, the Gdansk, Poland native could only collapse in place on the hard court.
Kamrowski clinches for @MT_MensTennis! Queue the celebrations (sad to have missed the audio, but that's why I'm the staff writer and not the SID!) pic.twitter.com/j0EBwnVfVp
— Sam Doughton (@sjdoughton) April 23, 2023
It was the fourth straight Conference USA title for MTSU, making it the fourth straight for fifth-year seniors Stjin Slump, Francisco Rocha and Pavel Motl as well. But for Kamrowski, it was his first. And it wasn't hard to tell what the moment meant to him, what it meant to all the Blue Raiders on the court in Houston, as he was mobbed by his teammates and Head Coach Jimmy Borendame yelled in exaltation to the fans who traveled.
That 4⃣ Peat Feelin! 🏆#BLUEnited pic.twitter.com/qELSYWWFVe
— MT Men's Tennis (@MT_MensTennis) April 24, 2023
For me, watching from home in Murfreesboro, it was a classic MTSU men's tennis win that showed why the program has had such staying power since Borendame took the helm in 2011. His teams can win these dual matches in so many ways. There's not a lot of teams that can have that much confidence in their guys on 4, 5, and 6 like Borendame and his staff have in theirs.
So many times, these collegiate teams must win the battle on Courts 1 and 2, best on best, to get to four points against topflight teams, which UTSA, ranked No. 41 in the nation entering today, surely qualifies. Teams can cruise, sure, against lesser competition with the back half of their lineup. But in these tournament settings, you need players to get points on those back courts. Their matches count just as much, after all.
In 2022, it was Stepan Holis on Court 4 and Motl on Court 6 that got two points in a 4-3 win over Charlotte. In 2021, Tom Moonen on Court 3 and Chris Edge on Court 4, with Motl with a chance to win late on Court 5 that wasn't needed against Old Dominion. And in 2019, the first of title in this four-peat, Edge on Court 5 and Max Rauch on Court 4 got the job done against FAU.
Of course, a team needs to have its top of the lineup strong as well, which Slump, Rocha and Oskar Brostrom Poulsen have provided all season on Courts 1-3. It also doesn't hurt that MTSU has been dominant in doubles all season as well, losing the doubles point just six times all season (including four of the team's seven losses).
But these matches can be, are often, won on the back courts, and players like Horak (19-4 in singles), Kamrowski (16-8) and Motl (17-5) taking care of business in those spots win championships.
And to briefly look ahead to the future, knowing that MTSU will have a chance to make plenty of noise in the NCAA Tournament thanks to their automatic bid, having freshmen like Horak, like Kamrowski, get experience in those big moments will only play dividends down the line, as fifth-year seniors like Slump, Rocha and Motl move on from collegiate tennis.
For now though, I'm soaking in the moment, like Kamrowski did on the hard courts dried after a day of rain in Houston, Texas. Ready to see the story continue for Blue Raider Men's Tennis, for the fourth post-season in a row.
FOUR. IN. A. ROW. 😤🏆
— MT Men's Tennis (@MT_MensTennis) April 23, 2023
Your #BlueRaiders are the 2023 @ConferenceUSA Champions!#BLUEnited pic.twitter.com/ivg07VZJBU
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
MTSU Tennis Pro-Am 9/6/25
Tuesday, September 09
Facility tour – Stephen and Denise Smith Student-Athlete Performance Center
Wednesday, July 30
Men's Tennis NCAA Selection Show Watch Party on 04/28/25
Tuesday, April 29
MTSU Men's Tennis CUSA Championship vs Liberty Recap on 04/20/25
Wednesday, April 23
