Brandeis men’s tennis took a trip down to Altamonte Springs, Florida, to take part in the 2026 UAA tournament last weekend. Going into the tournament, the Judges were already ranked higher than they had ever been. However, several other University Athletic Association teams were also nationally ranked, standing between the Judges and ending their season on the best note possible. A get-right win over the NYU Violets brought some fire to the team heading into the tournament, where they would face the #6 Case Western Reserve Spartans in the quarterfinals.

The Spartans won back-to-back doubles matches to open the round and clinch the series win, but third doubles Pierce Garbett ’27 and David Wang ’28 bit back with a win to bring the Judges’ record to 1-2. In singles, Garbett was able to outduel his opponent, bringing Brandeis to their lone win in fourth singles. The Judges fell to the Spartans in the remaining matches, setting them up for a rematch against the #25 NYU Violets in the next round, just five days removed from the last bout between the rivals.

In first doubles, Aidan Wang-Fan ’28 and Oliver Lorenz ’29 won 6-4, but the Spartans were able to equalize in the next match. In third doubles, the Violets broke the tie with a narrow win over Wang and Garbett. The Judges could still win with a dominant showing in singles, which they provided. Garbett won as second singles, coming back from down 4-6 by taking the following sets 6-0 and 6-3. Lorenz provided the knockout blow in fourth singles that allowed him to finish 2-0 on the day and set the Judges up for the fifth-place match against the #10 WashU Bears.

The Judges started slow with a loss in first doubles, but Daniel Shemesh ’28 and Huasen Dong ’27 were able to equalize with a 6-4 win. Garbett and Wang were able to bring the series home with a 6-3 win in third doubles, putting the Judges at the advantage heading into singles. As first singles, Shemesh contributed a pair of wins, but the Bears responded with three consecutive wins to put the Judges in a deficit. The Judges were in good hands for second singles, as Pierce Garbett was able to conjure up another rally to keep Brandeis in the running with a 7-2 tiebreaker win. Wang-Fan shut the door on the Bears with a win in sixth singles.

The Judges finish their season ranked #20 nationally and with a trademark win over WashU, a team they hadn’t beaten since 2020. Their fifth-place finish was also their best result at the UAA championships since 2023. We congratulate the men’s tennis team on their accomplishments and are looking forward to next season.