WORCESTER, Ind. — Missouri Baptist University men's tennis made history at the 2025 ITA NAIA Central-East Regional Championship, as top-seeded duo Sebastian Junghanns and Luca da Silva Ebenriter captured the regional doubles title with a commanding 6-1, 7-5 win over No. 2 seeds Ching Wah Wai and Luca McManus in the championship match. The victory capped a standout weekend for the Spartans, who also saw Junghanns reach the singles semifinals and the MBU women advance three doubles teams to the quarterfinals or beyond.
"I am so happy for the guys," Head Coach Scott Goodyear said. "The key match of the tournament was against Olivet in the semis. They were down 3-6 in the set tiebreak, and being able to lock in and play five great points to win 8-6 was impressive. That gave them a lot of momentum going into the finals, and they played their best tennis in the finals. They earned it."
Men's Doubles – Champions Crowned
Junghanns and Ebenriter lived up to their top billing, earning a first-round bye and cruising past Brayden Kopp/Joshua Bavich 8-3 in the Round of 32. The duo edged teammates Danijel Blagojevic/Nicolas Sanchez 8-5 in the Round of 16, rolled to an 8-1 win in the quarterfinals, and survived a tense 8-7(6) semifinal over No. 3 seeds Chatton Haws/Paul Saleh to reach the championship. In the final, the Spartans controlled the match from start to finish, taking down Wai and McManus 6-1, 7-5 to secure the title.
Three of MBU's four doubles teams reached the Round of 16, with Blagojevic/Sanchez falling to their Spartan teammates and Britton Struewing/Alex Meyer narrowly dropping a 7-8(5) battle to Haws/Saleh.
Men's Singles – Junghanns Leads the Way
All 10 MBU singles players advanced out of the opening round, and six reached the Round of 32 — No. 1 seed Luca da Silva Ebenriter, No. 3 seed Strahinja Radanovic, Omar Farahat, Arkhip Tokmakov, Ruslan Anurev, and Junghanns.
Junghanns posted one of the best singles runs in program history, defeating Tokmakov in an all-Spartan Round of 32 matchup, topping Dimitar Berdankov 6-1, 6-3 in the Round of 16, and stunning No. 4 seed Luca McManus 6-4, 6-4 in the quarterfinals. His run ended in the semifinals with a narrow 3-6, 6-4, [4-10] loss to No. 2 seed Ching Wah Wai.
Women's Singles – Seven Reach Round of 32
The Spartans advanced seven players to the Round of 32, led by Jocelynn Carmody and Camila Sanchez Trejo, who earned decisive first-round wins. While MBU's singles run ended in the second round, Sanchez Trejo pushed her opponent to a 10-8 deciding tiebreak and Bissola Lassissi fell 7-6(5), 6-2 in a match that came down to key points. Yvonne Shannon bounced back after an early main draw exit by winning four matches to capture the back draw, providing her with a key confidence boost heading into the rest of the fall season.
Women's Doubles – Azevedo/Rubio Reach Semis
All four Spartan doubles teams advanced out of the Round of 64, and three reached the quarterfinals. Mariana Azevedo and Lucia Rubio delivered MBU's deepest women's doubles run, defeating teammates Sanchez Trejo/Stafford 8-5 in the quarterfinals before falling to eventual runners-up Szilvia Ferenczy/Paola Lameda Morin 1-8 in the semifinals.
Summary
Missouri Baptist's performance was highlighted by Junghanns and Ebenriter's ITA Regional Doubles Championship, the first in program history, and Junghanns' run to the singles semifinals. On the women's side, Azevedo and Rubio earned a semifinal finish in doubles as the Spartans showcased depth and competitiveness across both draws.
