SAINT PAUL, Minn. – It was apparent pretty early that this season was going to be a special one for the Yellowjacket men's tennis team.
 
In the fall, the Yellowjackets had a strong showing at the ITA Midwest Regional, advancing multiple rounds in the event and playing into Sunday, something that hadn't happened previously in the history of the program.

Fast forward to February when the 2023 season began, and the Yellowjackets have had their foot on the gas from the get-go.

The Yellowjackets had a chance to complete a perfect Upper Midwest Athletic Conference regular season, and in the process secure the program's second straight UMAC regular season championship. The only thing standing in the way was Northwestern, who the Yellowjackets outlasted for a win just over a week ago.
 
This time around, things were on Northwestern's home court, but that didn't matter to the Yellowjackets, who rolled past the Eagles 8-1 Sunday at the Johnson Tennis Complex.
 
With the win, the Yellowjackets (22-3, 10-0 UMAC) secure the No. 1 seed in the North Division.
 
All three matches in doubles play were thrilling Sunday. The Yellowjackets jumped in front when Andre Luiz de Melo Guedes (Brasilia, Brazil/Centro de Ensino Médio Paulo Freire), who hadn't played since the last meeting between the two teams, and Jacob Zacharias (Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti) defeated Stewart Morrell and Jacob Weddle at No. 2 doubles, 8-4.
 
It went to 2-0 when Vitor Sakakibara (São Paulo, Brazil/Colégio Saber) and Mateo Abarca Pino (Riobamba, Ecuador/El Despertar) survived a fight from Griffen Jarchow and Darin Rupp at No. 3 doubles, winning 8-7 (7-2 tiebreaker). The match at No. 1 doubles was equally exciting, with Igor Guetten Chaves (Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil/Colégio Adventista) and Ren Kurachi (Yokohama, Japan/Yokosuka Gakuin) edging Davis Pfaff and Jack Geurkink 8-7 (7-2).
 
Up 3-0, the Yellowjackets needed just two wins to clinch the match, and they got them early. Luiz de melo Guedes needed three sets, but he got the job done at No. 3 singles, defeating Pfaff 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Then Guetten Chaves clinched the win, and the conference title for the Yellowjackets, rolling past Morrell at No. 1 singles, 6-3, 6-4.
 
Northwestern got its lone point at No. 2 singles, where Weddle upended Dominik Hendrickson (Menomonie, Wis./Menomonie Senior).

From there it was all Yellowjackets the rest of the way. Sakaibara defeated Geurkink 6-7, 6-2, 1-0 (12-10) at No. 4 singles. At No. 5 singles Zacharias earned a straight-sets win over Jarchow 6-1, 6-3. Jace Gilbertson (Menomonie, Wis./Menomonie Senior) closed out the match for the Yellowjackets, earning another win at No. 6 singles, defeating Rupp 6-1, 7-6 (7-2).
 
As the No. 1 seed from the UMAC North Division, the Yellowjackets will now take on the No. 2 seed from the UMAC South Division, Principia. The match will be played at 4 p.m. Friday, April 28 at Baseline Tennis Center in Minneapolis, Minn.