Two players from the University of the Pacific men's tennis team are heading to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Fall Championship for the first time since 2017 after their recent win at the Northwest Super Regional.

Senior Peter Alam ’24 and junior Justus Trainauskas ’25 captured the men’s doubles regional title October 23 in Stanford, California.

The win marks the first regional title for a Pacific tennis player in 15 years, according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association and the first time in six years the Tigers will be represented at the national fall championship. The doubles team of Akram El Sallaly and Bernardo Oliveira were the last Pacific athletes to play in the event.

Alam and Trainauskas will be one of 32 men’s doubles teams competing in the national championship, which runs from Wednesday, Nov. 1 to Sunday, Nov. 5 at the Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego, California.

“It’s very exciting,” Alam said. “It’s not something we expected at the start of the season, but we’ve been on a good run and just kept winning. I’m looking forward to seeing the best players in the country, not just doubles, but in singles as well.”

Added Trainauskus: “It’s a big deal for me and for our program. We’re not going there as tourists. We’re going there to get some big wins.”

The run to the regional title started the weekend of October 5-9 when the duo defeated opponents from Saint Mary’s, Nevada and UC Davis to advance to the Super Regional.

At the Super Regional, Alam and Trainauskas stormed through their competition, taking down the pairings from California, Gonzaga, Stanford and Washington with a perfect 4-0 record to capture the doubles regional crown. The Washington pair was ranked No. 16 in the country.

“They really performed under pressure and were very composed in the big moments of the matches,” said Pacific men’s tennis head coach Robin Goodman. “They were able to execute clear and smart strategies under pressure in the important moments of the match. To do that against teams and schools that are considered to be at the top of the country and have the confidence to take them was awesome to see.”

Alam, originally from Manchester, England, is in his third season at Pacific after transferring from Iowa in 2021 when the Hawkeyes discontinued the program. He played at No. 1 singles last year for the Tigers and picked up seven wins. Trainauskas, a native of Vilnius, Lithuania, is a Pacific newcomer. He played his first two seasons at Fairleigh Dickinson where he was 25-5 in singles play last year.

Alam and Trainauskas began the year together as an unranked duo, battling their way through qualifiers at the Battle in the Bay and Intercollegiate Tennis Association regionals with unbreakable chemistry.

“Our doubles game style has worked really well together,” Alam said. “Our serving and returning has been excellent. We both have the same idea of what we want to do in earning points. It’s been an easy transition from previous partners, and we now complement each other very well.”

Trainauskas also attributes their implementation of strategies and their unwavering mindset.

“I feel like we’re not afraid of the ball,” Trainauskas said. “In doubles, games are quick. When you’re at the net, the opponent hits the ball at you at around 100 miles per hour and it’s about just not being scared of it. One of our strengths is definitely the athleticism we have on the court. We understand each other’s tactics in where we want to hit the ball.”

Goodman’s coaching style has played an important role in keeping his players’ minds in the appropriate head space.

“I just keep them calm and focused on the right strategies,” Goodman said. “Once we get onto the court, it’s about keeping them in the right mindset because they know how to play and execute effectively.”

With an underdog mentality persevering throughout Alam and Trainauskas’ season, the opportunity for Pacific bodes well for the future.

“We’ve grown from every match since the beginning,” Alam said. “We’ve had to qualify for everything, and we’ve played a lot of matches. I think it’s good because it helps us get used to each other’s game, and we play better with more and more games. Playing in this tournament will be a big deal for our program going forward.”