Friday, September 18
USAFA, Colo.
All Day
University of Denver
at
Bedford Cup in the Mountains
Photo by: Brittany Evans
Denver Men’s Tennis Opens Fall Campaign at Bedford Cup
9/16/2026 6:14:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Five Pioneers set for three-day, season-opening tournament at U.S. Air Force Academy
DENVER – The University of Denver men's tennis team will begin its 2026-27 season with the Bedford Cup in the Mountains, hosted by the U.S. Air Force Academy, on September 18-20.
Five Pioneers are set to play – three of whom will be making their collegiate debuts while a fourth makes his Denver debut: junior Alex Kotarski; sophomores Aaron Beduhn and Dylan Davies; and freshmen Rafe Samuel and Platon Tsarenko.
Kotarski will make his first appearance as a Pioneer after transferring to Denver in the summer following two seasons at Xavier. Beduhn won 25 singles matches and 22 doubles matches during his freshman year in 2025-26, including three singles wins at last year's Bedford Cup.
Davies, Samuel and Tsarenko will make play for the first time in their NCAA careers. Samuel and Tsarenko are first-year student-athletes while Davies will make his anticipated collegiate debut after not joining the roster until midway through the 2026 dual season.
Doubles pairings will be announced by Thursday, September 17.
2026 BEDFORD CUP ANTICIPATED SCHEDULE
Friday, September 18
Beginning at 9 a.m. MT – Doubles and singles round of 32
Approx. 12:30 p.m. MT – Doubles and singles round of 16
Saturday, September 19
Beginning at 9 a.m. MT – Doubles and singles quarterfinals
Approx. 12:30 p.m. MT – Doubles and singles semifinals
Sunday, September 20
Beginning at 9 a.m. MT – Doubles and singles finals
*Schedule subject to change
The tournament will feature up to four singles draws featuring 16 players each, as well as one doubles draw with a maximum of 32 teams. Back-draw and added matches will also be held throughout the weekend, and doubles pairings may change in back draws.
Joining Denver's five student-athletes will be players from Air Force, Idaho, Montana, Montana State, New Mexico, New Mexico State and Weber State.
Draws are expected to be available by Thursday, September 17.
Singles matches will be best-of-three sets with third-set formats yet to be announced. Doubles matches will be one standard tiebreak set.
This will be the seventh consecutive fall season that Denver has played at the Bedford Cup in the Mountains. Last season, DU was represented in both the top-draw singles and doubles finals with then-sophomore Theo Coats claiming the singles title while also appearing the doubles final with then-graduate student Connor Robb-Wilcox.
Beduhn, who also played at last year's Bedford Cup, advanced to the consolation final for the Falcon Draw but fell in a 10-point match tiebreak.
The 2026 Bedford Cup is the first of five scheduled fall tournaments for the Pioneers. Next up will be the 2026 ITA Mountain Regional Championships, hosted by BYU, on October 6-10. Coats, Davies, junior Samuel Rovai and sophomore Ander Tarrio Ponte are expected to play with spots at the 2026 NCAA Division I Singles and Doubles Championships on the line.
Denver will wrap up the fall with three hidden-dual tournaments, beginning with its home tournament – the Colorado Cup – at Denver Tennis Park on October 30 – November 1. The Pioneers will also make visits at Grand Canyon and LMU on November 6-8 and November 13-15, respectively.
If selected, some Pioneers may also play at the ITA Sectional Championships in Tempe, Arizona, on November 5-8, which also serves as an individual qualifying event for the NCAA National Championships.
DU's winter dual schedule will be announced later this fall.
Five Pioneers are set to play – three of whom will be making their collegiate debuts while a fourth makes his Denver debut: junior Alex Kotarski; sophomores Aaron Beduhn and Dylan Davies; and freshmen Rafe Samuel and Platon Tsarenko.
Kotarski will make his first appearance as a Pioneer after transferring to Denver in the summer following two seasons at Xavier. Beduhn won 25 singles matches and 22 doubles matches during his freshman year in 2025-26, including three singles wins at last year's Bedford Cup.
Davies, Samuel and Tsarenko will make play for the first time in their NCAA careers. Samuel and Tsarenko are first-year student-athletes while Davies will make his anticipated collegiate debut after not joining the roster until midway through the 2026 dual season.
Doubles pairings will be announced by Thursday, September 17.
2026 BEDFORD CUP ANTICIPATED SCHEDULE
Friday, September 18
Beginning at 9 a.m. MT – Doubles and singles round of 32
Approx. 12:30 p.m. MT – Doubles and singles round of 16
Saturday, September 19
Beginning at 9 a.m. MT – Doubles and singles quarterfinals
Approx. 12:30 p.m. MT – Doubles and singles semifinals
Sunday, September 20
Beginning at 9 a.m. MT – Doubles and singles finals
*Schedule subject to change
The tournament will feature up to four singles draws featuring 16 players each, as well as one doubles draw with a maximum of 32 teams. Back-draw and added matches will also be held throughout the weekend, and doubles pairings may change in back draws.
Joining Denver's five student-athletes will be players from Air Force, Idaho, Montana, Montana State, New Mexico, New Mexico State and Weber State.
Draws are expected to be available by Thursday, September 17.
Singles matches will be best-of-three sets with third-set formats yet to be announced. Doubles matches will be one standard tiebreak set.
This will be the seventh consecutive fall season that Denver has played at the Bedford Cup in the Mountains. Last season, DU was represented in both the top-draw singles and doubles finals with then-sophomore Theo Coats claiming the singles title while also appearing the doubles final with then-graduate student Connor Robb-Wilcox.
Beduhn, who also played at last year's Bedford Cup, advanced to the consolation final for the Falcon Draw but fell in a 10-point match tiebreak.
The 2026 Bedford Cup is the first of five scheduled fall tournaments for the Pioneers. Next up will be the 2026 ITA Mountain Regional Championships, hosted by BYU, on October 6-10. Coats, Davies, junior Samuel Rovai and sophomore Ander Tarrio Ponte are expected to play with spots at the 2026 NCAA Division I Singles and Doubles Championships on the line.
Denver will wrap up the fall with three hidden-dual tournaments, beginning with its home tournament – the Colorado Cup – at Denver Tennis Park on October 30 – November 1. The Pioneers will also make visits at Grand Canyon and LMU on November 6-8 and November 13-15, respectively.
If selected, some Pioneers may also play at the ITA Sectional Championships in Tempe, Arizona, on November 5-8, which also serves as an individual qualifying event for the NCAA National Championships.
DU's winter dual schedule will be announced later this fall.
Denver's Home for College Sports
Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 18 of DU's NCAA Division I sports
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Men's Tennis on Facebook
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_MTennis on Twitter
Follow @DenverPioneers and @DU_MTennis on Instagram
Follow @DenverPioneers and @DU_MTennis on Threads
Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 18 of DU's NCAA Division I sports
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Men's Tennis on Facebook
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_MTennis on Twitter
Follow @DenverPioneers and @DU_MTennis on Instagram
Follow @DenverPioneers and @DU_MTennis on Threads
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
Wednesday, July 08
Friday, August 08
Wednesday, April 16
Sunday, September 25
