BOZEMAN, Mont. (August 29, 2025) – A quick look at Montana State’s 2025-26 men’s tennis roster shows an extremely youthful team. Dig a little deeper, though, and head coach Mateus Ceolin sees something different.
He sees experience. He sees talent. And he sees motivation.
“This is a really good group of guys,” Montana State’s second-year head coach, who played for the Cats, said as his team concluded its first week of full practices. “Everyone is motivated and excited to be back, and they’ve embraced the hard work. I’m looking forward to seeing how we develop this fall, and our mentality throughout the year will be centered on getting better every day and finding ways to improve.”
After rolling through the fall of 2024 with four, and sometimes less, active players, this year’s squad is far deeper. Junior Andre Stewart’s presence as a lineup mainstay for the past two seasons doesn’t figure to change, and he’s buttressed by the presence of several other returning starters.
Sophomores Eddie Biss, Camille Chantron and Yassin Elaroussy each flashed as freshmen a season ago, remaining in the Bobcats’ lineup throughout the season. Sophomore Oumar Diallo redshirted at MSU last spring after transferring from Bucknell, but has shown talent. New freshmen Elijah Calaquian, David Ismanescu and Ethan Masselis add athleticism and depth.
Ceolin said the early days of the fall help the team establish a basis for what follows. “These first few weeks are all about building a foundation—working on fundamentals and getting in top shape,” he said. “We’ve done a lot of conditioning and started lifting with Coach (John) Sauer (MSU strength and conditioning coach), and on the court we’ve been emphasizing consistency, transitioning to the net, and sharpening serves and returns.”
The highlight of Montana State’s fall season comes near the end, when the team hosts the Bobcat Invitational on October 24-26. That is the program’s first home fall event in a decade. Before then, MSU visits Boise State, Idaho State, Air Force, Utah and the ITA Regional Tournament. The Denver Hidden Duals, ITA Sectionals and NCAA Singles/Doubles close the fall campaign in November.
Ceolin likes what he’s seen. “The guys have started the year on the right foot. This first week of practice has been great—every day the whole team has come out ready to work. There have been very few distractions, and the guys have shown great focus, effort, and energy throughout the week.”
Montana State plays at the Boise Invitational on September 12.
#GoCatsGo