As quickly as the Moraine Valley Community College men’s tennis season began, it ended in the regional tournament.
The Cyclones ended the season in fourth place in the NJCAA Region 4 tournament and fifth in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference with an overall 6-4 record and 2-4 in conference. A full roster gave first-year Head Coach Nick Karczynski plenty to work with and room to grow.
“I really enjoyed coaching this spring. It was definitely a character building experience,” he said. “I’m very passionate about tennis, and being able to share it with the players was great.”
Karczynski competed for the Cyclones tennis team in 2018 and 2019; in the latter season, he qualified for and competed at the national tournament. Although he did not have a chance to recruit the roster, he was able to work with the team all spring and build rapport.
Within the starting lineup, each player brought something to the team. Freshman Zackary Johnson (Beecher) had a rough start at No. 1 singles but went on a winning streak toward the end. He and sophomore John Kenny (Lincoln-Way East) worked together at No. 2 doubles for a third place finish at regionals, the highest finish for the Cyclones. Sophomore Lukas Cepronas (Stagg) had a solid serve and played with passion at No. 3 singles. Freshman Erik Astranskas (Stagg) was consistent at No. 4 singles, while sophomore Jaykumar Patel (Oak Forest) played another locked-in season of tennis, losing just one regular season match. Freshman Dylan Roberts (Andrew), at No. 6 singles, hustled every match even if he was down, displaying his passion for the game. The frequent pairing of freshmen Omar Bzami (Sandburg) and Patrick Jerabek (Lockport) at No. 3 doubles saw a determined duo that gelled and did not give up.
With a chunk of the roster moving on, Karczynski is looking for additional talented recruits with good attitudes, eager and excited to play college tennis. Even though he had hoped the team would finish better, he is confident the team enjoyed the brief season.
“The competition was a little better than we expected, but I’ll take the record we finished with,” Karczynski said. “We were all very optimistic this season. They came together and bonded, and I think that’s something they’ll remember – the bonding experience.”
For updates on Cyclones Athletics, visit mvcyclones.com.
For news media inquiries, contact Maura Vizza, Moraine Valley communications specialist and sports information coordinator, at (708) 974-5742 or Vizzam@morainevalley.edu.
