UNC Wilmington Men’s Tennis Falls in CAA Championship Match

The University of North Carolina Wilmington men’s tennis team saw its season come to a close with a 4-1 loss to College of Charleston in the Colonial Athletic Association Championship final on April 18, 2026, at the Schwartz Tennis Center in Charleston, South Carolina.

College of Charleston secured the CAA’s automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Men’s Tennis Championship by winning three of the five singles matches and claiming the doubles point. The Cougars improved to 22-8 overall with the victory, while UNC Wilmington finished its campaign at 18-12.

Match Summary

College of Charleston took an early lead by winning the doubles point, with pairs of Simon Freund and Isaac Stoute defeating UNC Wilmington’s Yannik Steinegger and Simon Freund 6-3 and Victor Lilov and Dmitry Popko overcoming Sebastian Fanselow and Gianni Ross 6-4. The Seahawk duo of Steinegger and Ross managed to win their match 7-5, but it was not enough to prevent Charleston from claiming the doubles point.

Singles Results

In singles play, College of Charleston won matches at the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 5 positions. No. 1 seed Victor Lilov defeated Yannik Steinegger 6-4, 6-3. At No. 2, Dmitry Popko bested Simon Freund 7-5, 6-4. UNC Wilmington’s only singles victory came at No. 3, where Sebastian Fanselow defeated Isaac Stoute 6-2, 6-3. Charleston clinched the team victory when Benjamin Lock won at No. 5, defeating Gianni Ross 6-4, 6-2, making further singles matches unnecessary.

Season Context

UNC Wilmington entered the CAA Tournament as the No. 3 seed after finishing the regular season with a 12-6 conference record. The Seahawks earned their tournament berth with victories over Hofstra and Elon in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. College of Charleston, the No. 2 seed, advanced to the final by defeating Northeastern and Drexel.

The loss marked the end of a solid season for UNC Wilmington, which had notched wins over Power Conference opponents including Wake Forest and Georgetown during the spring campaign. Head Coach Jean-Philippe Fleurian praised his team’s resilience throughout the year despite the championship defeat.