Santa Clara men’s tennis players Alexander Watanabe Eriksson ’26 (left) and John Kim ’26 (right) react to their team making the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Tennis Championship during a watch party at the Stephen C. and Patricia A. Schott Athletic Excellence Center on Monday, April 27, 2026. **(Courtesy of Santa Clara Athletics)**

It has been 14 years since the Broncos last heard their name called for the 64-team NCAA Tennis Team Championship. After a historic season that pushed them to their highest national ranking since 2013, that drought is officially over.

Santa Clara’s coach, Niall Angus, who was named the 2026 WCC coach of the year, is no stranger to the NCAA tournament. As a player at Texas A&M, he led the program to four NCAA Tournament appearances, including three Sweet Sixteens and one Round of 32 from 2010-2013.

Coincidentally, 2012, one of Angus’ tournament years, also marked the last time Santa Clara advanced to the NCAA tournament, where they took down the University of Texas in a first-round matchup before bowing out to Stanford in the Round of 32.

Angus and Texas A&M met a similar second-round fate, falling to the eventual champion and No. 1 seed USC. Angus played third doubles for the Aggies, facing future ATP pro Yannick Hanfmann, currently ranked No. 55 in the world in singles.

14 years later, Angus is back in the NCAA tournament, but this time from a coaching role. Similar to Santa Clara’s men’s basketball program, the team’s first-round matchup is against a well-funded SEC powerhouse: Auburn University, who hold a record of 16-10.

Despite the tough competition lying ahead, the Broncos are not backing down, “because we’ve beaten the likes of Alabama and now USD, it’s not like we’re scared,” said Luca Bluett ’28. “Playing these SEC schools and these big-name schools. I think it’s really cool, especially for us at Santa Clara.”

To avoid another heartbreaking NCAA tournament defeat, the Broncos will need to be at their best, leaning on a core that delivered a 20-4 regular-season record amid a 13-game winning streak that shattered the program record set in the 2001-02 season.

Santa Clara men’s tennis takes a photo celebrating their West Coast Conference regular-season championship after their win against Saint Mary’s at the Degheri Tennis Center on April 19, 2026. **(Courtesy of Santa Clara Athletics)**

Five Broncos took home WCC honors this season, headlined by the top doubles pairing of Luca Bluett ’28 and John Kim ’26, who earlier in the season became the first-ever Santa Clara University men’s tennis pair to qualify for the NCAA Individual Championships.

While the pair has seen great success, it wasn’t always smooth sailing. Bluett recalled their first practice together, “On our very first ever session together, I was having a bit of a bad day, and John chucked his racket into the net and turned back and screamed,” said Bluett. “I went to Niall after the session and was like, I’m never playing with this guy again.”

Fortunately, the Bronco’s top doubles team was able to push through some disagreements early on. “He’s a very, very good player, great volleyer, so we bounce off each other pretty well,” Bluett concluded.

Santa Clara University men’s tennis coach Niall Angus speaks with doubles partners John Kim ’26 and Luca Bluett ’28 during their match against Pacific on April 2, 2026 at Degheri Tennis Center in Santa Clara, Calif. **(Nina Gick/The Santa Clara)**

Alexander Watanabe Eriksson ’26 and Luca Lemaitre ’27 both made the WCC singles first team. Kim was also named to the singles second team, with Valentin Faure ’28 receiving singles honorable mention.

In last week’s WCC tournament, the Broncos won their opening-round matchup against Saint Mary’s College before falling in the semi-finals to Pepperdine.

With the conference tournament in the rearview and a tournament bid secured, men’s tennis shifts its focus to Texas. The match against the No. 20-ranked Auburn Tigers is set for Friday, May 1, at 1 p.m., at the Baylor regional site in Waco, streaming live on ESPN+.