Catawba Crowned 2025 South Atlantic Conference Men’s Tennis Champions
SUMTER, S.C. – The Catawba Indians are the 2025 South Atlantic Conference Men's Tennis Tournament Champions after edging past the Wingate Bulldogs, 4-3, in a thrilling final on Friday at the Palmetto Tennis Center.
Wingate jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after securing the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and No. 3. Luka Brown and Carlo Rosellini earned a 6-3 victory at the top spot, while Florian Walcher and Rodrigo De La Torre clinched the point with a 6-4 win on court three.
Catawba responded in singles play, grabbing four hard-fought victories to rally for the championship. Agustin Mastri delivered a statement at No. 1 singles, defeating Gabriel Constantino 6-1, 6-0 to level the match. Mateo Berne added a three-set win at No. 3 (4-6, 6-2, 6-4), and Luca Bergonzi followed with a comeback victory at No. 4 (5-7, 6-4, 6-4) to give the Catawba Indians the lead.
Wingate fought back with wins at the bottom of the lineup, as De La Torre posted a 7-6(4), 6-1 victory at No. 5 and Federico Spinetta claimed a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 win at No. 6 to tie the match at 3-3.
That left the championship to be decided on court two, where Catawba's Thomas Kostka and Wingate's Florian Walcher battled into a third set. After dropping the opening set, Kostka surged back to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, clinching the title for the Catawba Indians.
For his performance throughout the tournament, Thomas Kostka was named the SAC Men's Tennis Tournament Most Valuable Player.
With the victory, Catawba secures the SAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Men's Tennis Regional Championship.