FULTON, Mo. – The story of William Woods University Men's Tennis is one highlighted by their dominating success. Since the addition of men's tennis to the WWU campus, the Owls have won several conference championships and named a plethora of players to the NAIA All-America Team. The current Owls are ranked #16 in the country thanks to a deep roster filled with experience and the uncompromising promise to continuously push the boundaries of what it means to be dominant on and off the court.

One of the cornerstones of the 2025-26 team, Noah Burton, has seen it all and experienced every level of college play to build him into the athlete that he is today. He relies heavily on the experience of his coaching staff, as well as his personal and team goals, in hopes of continuing the Owls' sheer dominance between the lines.

William Woods, although an NAIA Tennis powerhouse, is still a small liberal arts university in small-town America. How does Woods continuously recruit some of the top tennis talent in the world?

"My experience at Division 2 was not the greatest, with the pressure that came from the coach. When Coach Hughes recruited me, we didn't even talk about tennis. We talked about Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and Star Wars, and her husband. And that was refreshing. It made me say, 'Okay, I'm going here.'" Noah added, "The campus and the facilities, and also the tennis team as well, but mainly because of the coach. The way she recruited me is why I chose to come to the Woods, and I am really happy that I chose the Woods."

When it comes to practice for Noah, he loves the relaxed but structured feel of practice that lets him truly thrive and get the most out of his time with The Woods' coaching staff.

"Practice is good, it is very laid back, and it suits me as a person. You know, practice is structured and organized, but I do not always feel the need to be perfect, and I like that. But I also like the fact that we get time away from drills to just play the game." These practices are what Noah feels set Woods apart from the rest, with the ability to be laid back but keep a structured and organized feel. "I've been to four different universities, and the practices here at the Woods have been the best by far."

With Noah coming from Chichester, England, being far away from home has had its challenges with the differing societal norms and unique American culture. "I actually really like it. I love being in America, and I feel like everyone likes who I am as a person, and I love how everyone gets along."

For Noah, one of the biggest challenges is not being able to see his parents in the stands rooting him on while he competes. "It does suck that my mom and dad can't watch me play my games in person. Growing up, they normally would be on the side of the court watching me, cheering me on, and supporting me." For Noah, it has been a tough adjustment for him and his family, as the time change causes his parents to watch him play in the late hours of the night. "My mom still messages me during my matches even though I am not going to answer my phone while I am on the court, but my teammates have been great in supporting me and giving me motivation in their place, so that is really nice to have."

For Noah, his personal goals for life after The Woods are what keep him motivated in the stressed life of a college athlete. "I want to play pro after college, that is my biggest motivator."

"I want to enjoy tennis while I'm here and try and improve myself every day. It's a tough question for sure, but I really think my motivation is just to keep improving every day to eventually go pro." Noah strives for greatness and believes all the work he puts in will earn him a chance to compete at the professional level.

Burton went into detail about his dream: "There are many different ways to go pro, but playing on the professional tour is what I want to try and do. I also would love to be a professional hitter/tennis coach in the future, starting in the women's circuit with all the opportunities presented there," said Noah. This passion stems from being in the professional field in his earlier years, with his participation in the ATP 250 tournaments and the WTA 250 in Eastbourne, England. "I was hitting with professionals ranking from number four in the world to number sixty on both the women's and men's side. I got to hit with the finalist, and being in that environment and seeing them train motivates me to get to that championship level."

If Noah can't make it to the next level as an athlete, he wants to make it as a coach. His love for the sport and leading others acts as a driving factor behind this goal. Noah added, "I like to see what the player can't see and try to help them improve on it. It makes me feel whole to help others compete at their highest level."

William Woods tennis programs are both national-caliber teams that have had the privilege to host and play in some of the top tournaments in the nation. For Noah and the team, the Owls were selected to host ITA Indoor Nationals and have qualified for the NAIA Tennis National Championships for the past two years. Reflecting back on these tournaments, Burton said:

"Indoor nationals were amazing. It was amazing to come in and play against the top teams in the world. Like the first day against George Gwinnett, Robbie [Schorr] and I almost won against the top doubles squad in the country but lost 7-5. The guys we played were ranked top 200 in the world and would casually play in and win professional tournaments. So, I think we did really well against some unbelievable teams. In singles, I played well and got the clinch against a really good Middle Georgia State team, and it was just phenomenal to play in that environment. We got the win and just had everyone there supporting, and to get our first win against a top-5 opponent, it was very special to me."

Indoor nationals were just the start for Noah and the team, as their clinch of the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tennis Championship on both the men's and women's side earned them a berth in the NAIA Tennis National Championship hosted in Mobile, Alabama.

"It was absolutely phenomenal. Being able to go down there and represent William Woods was a great honor for me. We were competing with some of the best players in the world. I even got to see some old friends at nationals as well, which was nice to talk to them and congratulate them on their season success." With attending ITA Indoor and ITA Outdoor nationals, as well as the NAIA National Championship, Burton competed at three of the highest-level tournaments a collegiate tennis player can participate in. "I essentially got to go to three nationals in one year, and to compete in them all is kind of unheard of, and I am very honored and lucky to have been a part of that."

With their previous success, Noah and the Owls are aiming to keep the rich tradition of William Woods Tennis alive.

"I want to win or get close to winning the regular season so we can get the top-15 rank in the NAIA polls by the end of the year. The goal for this upcoming year is to win the conference and get past the first round at nationals in the spring. I think we can achieve these goals with the buy of the gym, court, and classroom."

For Noah and the team, they also take their academics very seriously as they strive to keep a team grade point average of 3.0. Noah mentioned, "If someone has a C, they go to the study hall to get that up, and we got a lot of buy-in to that mentality this year, with our grades reports coming back really good so far." Noah also mentioned how important academics are in his life for his own personal goals, as well as setting an example for the team. "I've got all A's right now, and that looks good to the younger guys as a fifth year taking tough courses and master's classes with the bridge program. I am just trying to set a good example as a leader for the younger guys and the team as a whole."

With Burton loving his time at The Woods, he had a message for the future of Woods tennis and any athletes who thought about what life would look like as an Owl.

"You hear from everybody that it's a family here, but it's way more than that. We push each other, and we are always there for each other if things go down. We are at every single court supporting each other, and with that, Woods has changed me. My mindset has changed completely on how I approach tennis and how I approach being a part of a team. If you wanted to improve as a person and on the court, I'd say choose Woods. Shout-out, Coach Abigail, the best coach I have ever had."

Burton had one final comment to leave, this time for his parents.

"Mom and Dad, I appreciate everything you've done for me, even though I'm a pain in the butt sometimes. I really appreciate the support that you've given me over these five years in America. I know it's tough for me not being at home, but I know you are proud of me no matter how far apart we are. I love you guys."

The 2024-25 NAIA Third Team All-American selection and #16 William Woods Men's Tennis open their spring season on January 25th at McKendree University, with #21 William Woods Women's Tennis to play right before.