DALLAS – Julian Steinhausen came to SMU with a goal of competing at the highest level. As a freshman, the California native helped the men's tennis program earn 18 wins, the program's best effort since notching 22 victories in 2016.
In the end, it wasn't enough to secure an at-large bid to last year's NCAA Tournament.
A year later, that moment still serves as the motivation behind the Mustangs' current run.
"Of course, it was absolutely heartbreaking when we didn't make the tournament last year, but that drove us even harder to make it this year," Steinhausen said. "We knew from the start of the season what we had to do and I think that the team has done a really great job with that, even though the job's not done yet."
SMU's road to redemption has been impressive thus far, and heads into the American Athletic Conference Tournament on a hot streak.
The Mustangs (19-6) have won eight matches in a row dating back to late March, and have earned the No. 1 overall seed in the AAC Tournament. The action kicks off Friday at the Michael B. Case Tennis Center in Tulsa against eighth-seeded Temple (11-9) in the quarterfinals at 9 a.m. SMU has beaten every AAC team scheduled to play in the tournament this week.
Of the 24 different opponents SMU has faced since January, 14 were ranked in the ITA top 75 as of April 13. The Mustangs own an 8-6 record against these opponents, winning five of the last six ranked matches they've played. That's why the team checks in at No. 27.
Getting there has not been easy. Of the 25 total matches this spring, eight have gone down to a 4-3 decision, with the Mustangs finishing 5-3 in those outcomes.
"I think the resume that we've put together, with the wins and losses that we've had, has shown where our program has moved to and taken a couple steps forward for sure," fourth-year head coach Grant Chen said. "Some of our guys have never experienced the NCAAs and that was a huge goal and target to be able to have. Some of these things are a matter of inches here and there. That's the beauty of sports and that's why I love it so much. We've stayed present, stayed focused, and put together some good, good wins this season."
While the Mustangs are in a good place heading into the conference tournament, the goal is to leave nothing to chance. Last year, SMU finished the season among the top 50 teams in the country, but were bypassed for a postseason berth.
After getting the opportunity to reset and really assess where the program stood during the COVID pause two years ago, Chen has worked to prepare the Mustangs for the rigors of college tennis and worked to set the team up to peak at the right time.
After three straight losses to ranked foes Texas Tech, Michigan and Notre Dame early in their schedule, the players have responded and appear to be playing their best tennis at the perfect moment.
Now, they are out to prove they belong in the postseason for the first time since 2017.
"The guys are proud of what they've put forward so far, but not satisfied in what we're capable of," Chen said. "I think the next couple of weeks with the conference tournament and the NCAAs quickly approaching, it's going to be really exciting to see how these guys respond and embrace the opportunities that potentially come forth."
