The No. 8 singles player senior Ondrej Styler was at the end of an impressive NCAA Singles Tournament run, including knocking off of the No. 1 player Eliot Spizzirri of Texas. However, due to a series of mistakes and mis-steps, Styler lost the championship to No. 2 Ethan Quinn of Georgia — cementing a historic run.
Early in the first set, Quinn started with a dominant start. Finding himself down 5-2, Styler needed a breath of life — and fast. Now, with every game just four points from Quinn taking the first set, Styler had to hit a new gear.
And he did.
Styler hit well placed shots and hard-to-return slices just over the net cord, clawing his way back to 6-5. Quinn had no intention of letting Styler run away with it, though, and promptly turned around to tie the first set at six. Now heading into a tiebreaker, Styler knew all the momentum was on his side, taking full advantage of the wind in his sails to cruise past Quinn and take the first set 7-6(2).
“He had a couple days to recover and reassess (after TCU)” Michigan head coach Adam Steinberg said. “He was really motivated. He prepared well and wanted to play great.”
Styler’s preparation was on full display, shooting out to a quick 2-0 lead. After a couple missed opportunities to capitalize on weak shots, Styler found himself locked back at 3-3. Continuing to play solid tennis, he found himself up 5-4, 40-0 — with the championship on the line.
Quinn, though, did not come to lose, and shot right back to win four straight points, breaking against Styler to make it a 5-5 tie. After that, however, the momentum was all on Quinn, continuing to stay in the driver’s seat on the way to a 7-6(5) win. Now with a third and final set looming, the entire match and championship was on the line.
And it started off just as highly contested as the others. A hold and a break by each player brought the set to 2-2. However, Styler fell flat as Quinn’s quick forehand was simply too much for him to handle, and with a few more unforced net errors, Quinn took the third set — securing the championship, 6-2.
Injuries plagued much of Styler’s college career. Minor nuisances such as ankle sprains and partial tears of ligaments have held him back since his freshman year. This year, in his senior and final year with Michigan, is the first year that he played to his full potential — something he took full advantage of. He was the deciding win in a third set tiebreaker against Southern California to send the Wolverines to the quarterfinals, and is Michigan’s highest ranked singles player.
“In my college career I’ve dealt with a lot of injuries,” Styler said. “I was really happy I could enjoy almost every single match. You know, playing freely without much pain. I think the success of the season is dedicated to just staying somewhat healthy.”
This loss means the end of Styler’s collegiate tennis career, and perhaps the last competitive match he’ll ever play. Even though he didn’t walk away with the hardwear, Styler became the first Wolverine to reach the final since 1987 and his run brings a lot of optimism to the team and to himself.
“My decision to come to Michigan was the best decision I made in my life,” Styler said. “Over the past four years I’ve grown as a person and a player. My mission from the beginning was to leave the program better than I found it. I gave it my all and it was an incredible run.”
And while leaving the program better, Styler’s leadership and skill set on and off the court will be sorely missed by his teammates and coaches. But, there is a young core leading the charge next year, including sophomore Gavin Young who made the second round of the tournament. While a coveted NCAA title eluding Michigan since its first and only national championship in 1957, the bar is set high for next year’s team.
“It’s a standard that this is what our program is about,” Steinberg said. “It’s about competing for national championships. Being in the mix with the best teams in the country. That’s been the goal since I got here nine years ago, and always will be.”
To be in the mix with those teams, the Wolverines will have to get there without Styler, along with his two graduating teammates — fifth-year Andrew Fenty and fifth-year Patrick Maloney. This year, Michigan made it to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament, something it also did last year. But with a hungry and eager core ready to return to the top, the Wolverines could find themselves competing once again for the top honor.