DENVER – The University of Denver men's tennis team landed the top spot in the 2026 Summit League Men's Tennis Preseason Coaches' Poll, the league announced on Wednesday.
By a head coaches' vote, Denver was voted as the favorite to win the Summit League title this season. Should DU win the championship, it would be the program's third in a row.
2026 SUMMIT LEAGUE MEN'S TENNIS PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
1. Denver (25 points, five first-place votes)
2. Omaha (18 points, one first-place)
3. Illinois State (17 points)
t4. North Dakota (12 points)
t4. Drake (12 points)
6. Oral Roberts (11 points)
Denver returns five student-athletes from a season ago when it successfully defended its Summit League title. Four of DU's returners were named to the All-Summit League Team in 2025: graduate student
Connor Robb-Wilcox, now-seniors
Raffaello Papajcik and
Ryoma Mishiro, and now-sophomore
Samuel Rovai. The Pios ended last season ranked No. 50 in the country after advancing to the NCAA National Championships for a 10
th time. DU was a perfect 5-0 in Summit League play in 2025.
Rovai was also announced as a member of the Summit League Men's Tennis Players to Watch list. The sophomore played primarily at No. 4 singles for DU last year while also adding six matches in the No. 3 spot. He finished with a 23-10 singles record on the season while also going 10-8 in doubles. So far in 2025-26, he holds a 6-1 singles record from the fall season.
The Summit League Tennis Championships return to a neutral site in 2026 and will be held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on April 24-25.
The 2025-26 season will be Denver's final as a member of the Summit League. The University of Denver announced that it will be joining the West Coast Conference next academic year, effective July 1, 2026.
Denver begins its 2026 dual season with a four-match homestand at Denver Tennis Park, starting with the season opener against Texas Tech on Friday, January 23. DU's Summit League opener is scheduled for April 3 against Illinois Stat at Denver Tennis Park.
