Emily Orsini, Managing Editor
Denison University is among some of the top athletic programs in the country, demonstrating well-rounded athletic achievements across the department. Twelve of Denison’s 25 varsity sport teams were ranked in the top 25 nationally in Division III as of April 26.
“It’s people, right? It’s a little cliche, but you can’t have the success we have here without the coaches, the students, the staff,” said Matt Tanney, associate vice president and director of athletics at Denison University.
Teams like the women’s lacrosse team and men’s tennis are competing at a high level, each contributing to a culture of sustained excellence. Among them, women’s lacrosse stands out as a program that has consistently translated that culture into national success.
Women’s lacrosse, led by head coach Amanda Daniels, has established itself as one of the nation’s elite programs, where they’re ranked No. 9.
“We always value reaching or exceeding our perceived potential over necessarily what our wins and losses are going to be,” said Daniels. “I think we’ve done a good job of learning from the years prior to us and bringing those lessons into what we do the next year.”
In 12 years and 11 full seasons, Daniels has led the Big Red to 11 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances with a Final Four appearance in 2021 and an Elite Eight appearance in 2025. Those postseason breakthroughs have helped redefine the program’s ceiling and set the stage for signature wins on the national stage.
“Beating F&M (Franklin and Marshall College) in the Sweet 16 last year was a huge milestone,” said Daniels. “It was something we hadn’t done before. We hadn’t beat a top-10 team, let alone a top-five team.
“So to do that and turn around the next day and lose to Gettysburg by three after losing to them by 10 at the beginning of that same season to me fortified the fact that we were that good at the end of the year.”
A team can’t have successes like this without a solid foundation and a positive team culture, which is something Daniels does not take lightly.
“I really look at [team culture] as a living, breathing entity of a team. If you’re not paying attention to it, it can quickly go in a direction you’re not anticipating,” said Daniels. “You hope the team is strong enough to kind of keep it where it is, but you still have to [as a coach] be checking in and doing those little things to help kind of grow that.”
That emphasis on intentionally cultivating culture directly informs how Daniels approaches the day-to-day demands of coaching, particularly when it comes to striking the right balance within the team dynamic.
“My coaching philosophy has always been based around balance. So finding that right balance of being competitive and intense, but also having fun. And I think when you’re doing it well, all of those things are happening simultaneously, but that’s not something you can do all the time,” said Daniels.
The team clinched the regular-season title for the NCAC after their win against DePauw University on April 26. The undefeated in conference play, with 16-1 overall record and a 129-28 in-conference scoring differential.
Daniels has nothing but anticipation for another deep playoff run this postseason.
“I’m just excited to see what ultimately we can do,” said Daniels. “At the end of the day, no matter how the season ends or what happens, [I’m] just going to be so incredibly proud of this group, especially the senior class.
“As much as we can release the pressure of what we want to accomplish this year, I feel like it’s all up for grabs more than it has felt in a really long time.”
The men’s tennis team has come back into the 2025-26 season as reigning NCAA champions.
Head coach David Schilling has built his program around that same commitment to relentless effort and internal accountability, emphasizing the work that happens long before competition begins.
“We always talk about how the first four months [of our season] is built on work. We have to outwork our opponents. We have to put more into the hours that we’re on the court, and then put more hours in on the court than other teams do,” said Schilling. “Our culture is built on work ethic as much as anything, and playing with passion and playing with energy.”
The men’s tennis team entered the 2025-2026 season with energy and excitement following their national championship win. The Big Red faced Case Western Reserve University in the final, winning 4-2 and defeating them for the third time that season.
The Big Red faced CWRU again at the National Indoor Championship in February, where they took a 4-3 loss, for only their second loss of the season.
Instead of dwelling on the setback, the men’s tennis team responded. On April 10, the team faced the Spartans again and won 4-1.
“[After the loss to Case Western], we talked about, let’s make sure that we’re doing everything we can to avoid these situations in the future. Watch a little bit more film. Practice a little bit harder.
“Let’s come together more as a team, and most importantly, one of the challenges we’ve talked about all year long is making sure that we compete with joy, right? That we’re having joy during the experience, because I think they were carrying the weight of the world on their backs.
“And so we were able to avenge our loss to Case. We beat them 4-1.”
Hard work and determination are foundational to success, but just as important is the ability to respond to adversity with perspective and purpose. Across programs, that balance between competitiveness and culture continues to define what it means to succeed at Denison.
“There’s a drive to be excellent [at Denison]. Every coach here wants to be and wants to have competitive success. So that drives everybody, but it’s tempered with treating people the right way. We end up spending more time talking about positioning students and teams and programs for success,” said Tanney.
The men’s tennis team is ranked No. 3 in the country with a 25-2 record after securing the NCAC regular-season and tournament titles, a level of success that reflects years of sustained effort rather than overnight results. That rise has been fueled not only by the team’s work ethic, but also by the consistent support and infrastructure provided by the athletic department.
“Over my five and a half years that I’ve been here knowing that we have athletic directors and associate athletic directors that support us that takes some of the heavy lifting off the coaches. You can kind of feel that support, and that’s a big part of why I think Denison athletics is having so much success. They give us the tools to be successful, and then they expect us to be successful,” said Schilling.
The team will begin NCAA tournament play May 8-10, where they will try and hold their title for another year.