National rank despite key injury shows GCU gains

Entering the spring season's opening match, the Grand Canyon men's tennis program seemed to have the arc of a never-ending lob shot.

The Lopes kept rising through seven offseason additions and fall development until GCU junior David Wakesa fell to the GCU Tennis Facility's purple courts in his opening match after winning his last 11 matches last season.

Just as they have done in numerous matches since then, the Lopes rallied with the talent, depth and improvement to overcome Wakesa's season-ending knee injury and climb to No. 61 in their second week of being ranked in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Top 75.

"We have a really, really good team," GCU third-year head coach Derek Siddiqui said. "We were expecting this. David's injury changed the whole projection of our team, but guys have got to step up. We've got to compete and stay positive.

"This year has taught our guys and gave me a good reminder that you're not promised or guaranteed anything. I'm just impressed with the guys and how they're competing."

And keeps happening.

Just after the team first cracked the ITA rankings, Lopes freshman Andreas Loizas suffered an injury in GCU's loss last week to Pacific and will be out four to six weeks. Dealt with that and Lopes senior Paolo Rosati needing to travel home to Italy, GCU responded Sunday to a 2-1 deficit against UNLV with three consecutive gutsy singles victories.

That moved the Lopes to 7-3 this season and bumped their national ranking to No. 61.

"It was a great feeling," said GCU sophomore Nikita Volonski, an Australian who is 6-2 in Court 1 singles this season. "We've been working hard the whole fall semester and then the spring we've been training hard and putting in the work.

"To see GCU be in the national rankings, it felt really, really good that the hard work is starting to pay off."

GCU was coming off its first nine-win season since 2019 when it competed with a seven-man roster last year, and the Lopes are proving resilient this year. GCU is reduced to sevan available players against when it enters Friday's 9 a.m. match against Illinois State at GCU Tennis Facility.

"Usually in tennis, you feel like you're out there alone, but in this environment, you feel like you're not just playing for yourself, you're playing for your team," said Lopes sophomore Brice Patoux, a Frenchman who transferred from Ole Miss. "When we win individual matches, it accumulates toward the team's effort.

"I'm not the only one improving. All of us are improving. To see us not just being in the rankings but pretty high up, it motivates us even more to keep pushing further and seeing how far up we can go."

Siddiqui is building a developmental program that will prepare his Lopes for pro careers. The newcomers' improvement to be a nationally ranked team is indicative of that development.

"Ever since I got here, I've developed a lot not just physically, but also mentally," Volonski said. "Tennis is such a mental sport. The game could go either way. Derek really helped me develop not just like my one-on-one game, my forehead, my backhand, my serve. He also taught me a lot about how to handle my emotions in in certain pressure situations. A lot of times when we won, it came down to being the mentally tougher player out there. He's really guiding me toward the right path to becoming a professional tennis player."

Diordan Macababbad

Collegiate tennis offers a unique format for international players to improve. The dual format of three doubles matches and six singles matches is usually new to them. Not all talented players handle a pressure that feels different, but these Lopes have thrived in playing for each other and the university.

GCU freshman Diordan Macababbad of England did not play his first Division I opponent until Feb. 14 and is now 6-1 at No. 6 singles.

"I want this program to be about straight development and getting these guys ready for the tour," Siddiqui said. "A lot of guys have made huge strides in their games. Credit to them to buy in to make those changes. They're the ones doing the work and going through the process."

That fall grind is showing up now more than ever, as the leaders are counted on more and others take on larger roles.

"We did a lot of things on my technique last semester, so I had a hard time practicing because I had to change a lot of things in my game," Volonski said. "Now I see that it's getting better, and I'm improving every day. College tennis is very unique, so I'm mentally improving a lot too.

"Losing David definitely hit us hard. We thought the season was almost over for us, so to see us doing so well proves how much we want to win and succeed. I'm really proud of this team."

Grand Canyon University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Andreas Loizas

Diordan Macababbad

Brice Patoux

Paolo Rosati

Nikita Volonski

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