WACO, Texas – The California men's tennis team concluded its postseason campaign Wednesday in the NCAA individual championships at Baylor's Hurd Tennis Center. Fourth-seeded Carl Emil Overbeck – the highest-seeded Golden Bear in Waco – was one win away from All-America status. But the senior fell to Michigan State's Ozan Baris 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 in the NCAA Singles Championship round of 32.
 
The NCAA Doubles Championship began Wednesday and featured two talented Cal doubles teams – Alex Chang and Mikey Wright as well as Overbeck and Theo Dean. The latter duo faced Liberty's Joaquim Almeida and Siwanat Auytayakul in the first round, with the teams splitting the first two sets. In the match tiebreaker, the Flames edged the Golden Bears to prevail in the match 6-4, 3-6, 10-8.
 
Wright and Chang's first-round match also went to a match tiebreaker. But the senior duo lost to Mississippi State's Petar Jovanovic & Benito Sanchez Martinez 4-6, 6-2, 10-5 in the Bears' last match of the fall postseason in Waco, which will also host the NCAA team championship in May.

"As much as you want to keep winning in the NCAA Tournament and do well individually, the goal is team success," said Kris Kwinta, Cal's Peter Wright Director of Men's Tennis. "This – to be exposed to the best players in the country – is invaluable experience. Most of these guys hadn't been to the NCAA Tournament before. They got their nerves out now and found out what it's going to be like in May, because, in my mind, I feel like I'm coming back in May with the team.
 
"The pressure in NCAAs is higher, and you have to be able to not make a big deal out of it. Doing that in May is the goal. We overreacted a little bit as a team to the situation this time. You want it so much and forget about the little things that got you here. You learn from it, and now we know what we have to work on the rest of the year.
 
"This was great experience for the guys. We had an incredible fall. It was the best fall of my coaching career. I'm happy with how much we grew as a team. But the work doesn't stop. This was a huge injection of information and experience for us. We just have to continue building."

Cal returns to action in the dual-match season starting in January.
 
NCAA Singles & Doubles Championships – Cal Results
Nov. 20, 2024, in Waco, Texas
Hurd Tennis Center
 
Singles Round Of 32
Ozan Baris (Michigan State) def. [4] Carl Emil Overbeck (Cal), 6-3, 5-7, 6-2
 
Doubles Round Of 32
Joaquim Almeida and Siwanat Auytayakul (Liberty) def. Theo Dean/Carl Emil Overbeck (Cal), 6-4, 3-6, 10-8
Petar Jovanovic/Benito Sanchez Martinez (Mississippi State) def. Alex Chang/Mikey Wright (Cal), 4-6, 6-2, 10-5.
 
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