Northwest Mississippi men’s tennis wins third place in Region 23, advances to NJCAA Division II Championships

ELLISVILLE — The Northwest Mississippi Community College men’s tennis team claimed third place in the Region 23 Tournament with a 5-4 victory over Copiah-Lincoln Community College on Saturday at Bobcat Tennis Courts. The win secures the Rangers a spot in the NJCAA Division II Men’s Tennis Championship in Plano, Texas, scheduled for May 11-15, according to school officials.

The match was closely contested from the start. Northwest, seeded fourth with a 9-8 record, took a narrow 2-1 lead after doubles play. Co-Lin, the third seed, quickly gained momentum in singles, winning matches at the No. 1 and No. 3 courts to take a 3-2 lead. Sophomore Holden Cooke responded with a dominant win in his singles match, losing just one game to tie the match at 3-3.

The Lions regained the lead after Luca Morris lost a tight battle at the No. 2 singles court, putting Northwest on the brink of elimination with a 4-3 deficit. With the overall score tied at 4-4, the outcome hinged on the final two singles matches. Jordan Mitchell battled through a three-set match at the No. 5 singles court, ultimately winning the decisive third set to even the score.

In the last match of the day, Brady Holliman secured victory at the No. 6 singles in straight sets, with closely contested sets that highlighted his serve and overhead shot. Holliman’s win clinched the team’s third-place finish and a trip to the national championships.

Head Coach Ryan Mounce praised the team’s seniors, saying, “They’re the heart and soul of the program. They laid the groundwork and earned this reward. It’s great to see their hard work pay off.” The team now awaits the official draw to determine its opponents and match times. Fans can follow the Rangers’ progress through the team’s social media accounts or at nwccrangers.com.

In earlier matches, Co-Lin’s Nikoloz Gurgenidze defeated Carlos Diaz of Northwest in singles, while Northwest’s Holden Cooke and Jordan Mitchell won doubles in their April 19 clash against Co-Lin. The team’s detailed results show the competitive nature of the tournament and the Rangers’ resilience in securing their spot in Texas.

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