By Emmett Zitelli (HNZ'01)

Abhishek Alla walks across the windswept CMU campus; white snow covers the ground. The sophomore civil engineering major is on his way from calculus class to tennis practice. Spring matches will start soon, and if he wants to help lead the men’s team to victories, preparation must begin weeks before the first match.

Last fall, the team won four of its five matches, and Alla had a personal 11-game win streak going into the Division III National Singles Championship in Ft. Meyers, Fla. Men’s coach Andrew Girard believed Alla—the lone CMU entrant—could win that title. Alla wasn’t so sure. He was an unseeded sophomore competing against ranked upperclassmen from tennis-rich schools. But he told himself to just stay calm and play the same game he’d thrived at since he was a young boy.

When he was six years old, his parents thought he and his two brothers needed more exercise. So the boys took tennis lessons. Alla was a natural. Soon he was competing in tournaments against opponents who were two years older than him; when he was 14, he represented India in the 14-and-under World Juniors.

He completed high school at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., which has some notable alumni, including Serena Williams, currently ranked #1 in the world by the Women’s Tennis Association. Another is Andre Agassi, who won eight Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal in his illustrious tennis career.

It’s no surprise that when it came time to attend college, Alla wanted to make sure that he could continue to play tennis. CMU piqued his interest, he says, for its solid Division III tennis program and its world-renowned academics. It also didn’t hurt that CMU happens to be the alma mater of his father, Rajesh Alla (E’84), who is the founder and chairman of IIC Technologies in India.

Coach Girard says he’s delighted Alla chose to follow in his dad’s footsteps. He is impressed with the young man’s steady, strategic play, which is why he thought he could win the singles championship held by the United States Tennis Association and the International Tennis Association.

As that tournament progressed, Alla didn’t let his coach down. He ultimately reached the finals, where he faced the #3 seed, Skyler Butts, from Claremont Mudd Scripps (a combined athletic program of the three Claremont colleges). Set one of the best of three set match went just as Alla had hoped; he won 6-4. But he knew Butts would push back in set two. Sure enough, Butts won the first game. But Alla, limiting unforced errors and playing the angles beautifully, won the next six games and—as his coach had predicted—was crowned the Division III National Singles Champion.

During the winter break after the fall matches, Alla says, he and his teammates haven’t let wintery conditions hinder their indoor workout regimen. Good thing because the Tartans have a full slate of matches in March and April, culminating in the UAA championships that will take place in Florida, from April 24-26. Alla says they’ll be ready.