Saturday, January 17
Davidson, N.C.
3:00 p.m.
Davidson College Athletics
vs
No. 24 Clemson
'Cats Host Nationally-Ranked Clemson to Begin 2015
1/13/2015 2:36:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID
2015 Schedule
2015 Quick Facts
2015 Record Books (pdf)
DavidsonPhotos.com
DAVIDSON, N.C. — The Davidson men's tennis team starts the 2015 season off with a big matchup this weekend as they play host to No. 24 Clemson Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. in the Knobloch Tennis Center.
The Wildcats will be entering a new conference this year as they move over from the Southern Conference to the Atlantic 10.
Saturday's match vs. the Tigers is the first of four straight at home for Davidson to begin the season. It is also the third time, and second at home, since 2010 that the 'Cats have opened up against Clemson to begin the year. The Wildcats will be looking to halt a five-match losing skid in season-opening matches.
In anticipation of a strong year, below is a look at the Davidson Men's Tennis 2015 Season Preview ...
Now in their ninth season under the direction of head coach Drew Barrett, the Wildcats will enter the 2015 campaign with a fresh start. Davidson is moving from its long stay in the Southern Conference to the Atlantic 10 and the Wildcats are looking forward to the move.
"It's exciting for us and we are looking forward to seeing new teams and traveling to some new places," said Barrett. "We are thrilled about the challenge and I think the move is going to do well for us."
The 2015 team will look to learn from a tough campaign a year ago in which Davidson went just 5-18 overall and 2-7 in league play. The Wildcats faced four nationally ranked teams last year.
This year's club will feature the return of six letterwinners, including five who saw action in the starting lineup. Add in a talented freshmen group of four, who ranked 10th in the nation in the top-25 mid-major rankings by tennisrecruiting.com, and the Wildcats are set for a solid 2015 season and their first in the A-10.
SINGLES
Davidson picked up 43 singles wins and netted 20 of those against SoCon opponents. The Wildcats had one player reach the double-digit wins mark in Connor Evins, who capped off his career with a 10-13 record last year and finished 31-26 overall for his career. Also gone is Robert Lightbourn and Ethan Kallick, who combined for 12 wins last year and 34 for their careers.
•Junior Alex Howard: Played in 13 singles matches last year, collecting three wins ... was the Wildcats' main No. 5 and 6 singles player ... scored a nice 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 victory at No. 28 Auburn ... has a career mark of 8-10 in singles action.
•Junior Evan Watkins: A regular in the rotation for the first time as a sophomore last year, played in 22 total matches ... won five matches, seeing action between No. 2-6 positions ... earned first collegiate win against No. 59 Yale, taking a 4-6, 6-0, 1-0 triumph at No. 4 ... closed the season strong with a pair of singles wins against College of Charleston (6-4, 5-7, 1-0) at home and Chattanooga at the SoCon Tournament ... went 3-4 at No. 5 singles ...opened the 2014 Fall season by going a perfect 3-0 in singles action at the Davidson Invitational.
•Sophomore J.B. Gough: Broke onto the scene as a freshman, playing in 17 singles matches ... went 7-10 in those matches, playing between No. 4-6 positions ... the seven wins were third-most on the team ... had a team-best mark of 4-1 at No. 5 singles ... recorded a season-best three-match win streak, all SoCon wins against Chattanooga, Appalachian State and The Citadel ... played in five three-set matches throughout the year, winning three of them against George Mason, Georgia Southern and Chattanooga.
•Sophomore Jordan Hart: A native of McKinney, Texas, played in seven singles matches as a freshman last year ... had a record of 2-5, getting one win each at No. 5 and 6 positions ... opened collegiate career with an impressive 6-4, 6-5 triumph at No. 6 against nationally-ranked Virginia Tech ... had a solid 2014 Fall season, highlighted by winning a singles and doubles title at the Wake Forest Invitational.
•Sophomore Ricky Saad: Earned a nod in the starting lineup 10 times in singles during first season ... finished 3-7, with three of the wins coming at No. 6 ... after dropping first two collegiate singles matches, won three of the next four, including a 6-3, 7-5 win against Division II Flagler, which was ranked No. 44.
•Sophomore Zack Zapatero: Did not see any singles action for Davidson in his first year ... this past Fall, played in three of the Wildcats' six events ... finished with 18 points in singles play at the Davidson Fall Invitational at the No. 6 position ... went 3-0, including earning a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 win against Charlotte on the last day.
NEWCOMERS
For the second time during his nine-year tenure at Davidson, Barrett's incoming freshman class ranked among the top teams of the mid-majors according to tennisrecruiting.net. The Class of 2018 came in ranked 10th in the nation in the top-25 mid-major ranking by the site and was one of three A-10 teams in the rankings (George Washington, 9th & Dayton, 14th).
•David Hager: A four-year letterwinner at Edmond North in Edmond, Okla., playing both first and second singles ... won four state singles titles to become the seventh player in Oklahoma history to accomplish the feat ... finished prep career with an 83-2 record, including a 29-0 mark during senior pep season ... earned all-state honors in 2014 ... one of three Wildcats to go perfect on the weekend at the Davidson Invitational with a 3-0 singles mark for a team-best 30 points ... also led the way at the Virginia Fall Classic with a 2-1 singles record.
•Shamael Chaudhry: Comes to Davidson from the United Kingdom ... had a solid prep international career in the juniors, ranking 183rd after going 44-16 in singles ... played in three of Davidson's six Fall events ... earned 21 points to finish third in singles at the Davidson Invite.
•Artem Khrapko: The No. 1 singles player at C-PP West in Corning, N.Y. ... earned three letters ... finished 11-0 during senior season and was a three-time state participant ... went a combined 47-4 in singles as a freshman, sophomore and senior ... In first Fall season at Davidson, saw action in five of the Wildcats' six events, including winning a singles flight title at the Wake Forest Invitational.
•Jack Riazzi: A North Carolina native from Winston-Salem, was a four-year letterwinner at R.J. Reynolds ... was a four-time all-conference, all-region and all-state pick ... a 2011 and 2012 4A dual team state champion ... was honored athlete of the year at R.J. Reynolds and finished prep career with a combined record of 111-10 in singles (64-5) and doubles (49-5).
DOUBLES
Davidson's doubles teams tallied 21 wins in 2014, getting eight of those against the SoCon. The 'Cats rotated through a number of doubles combinations. They had 15 different combined teams playing No. 1-3.
• No. 1 position: The Wildcats will have a new No. 1 team again in 2015 after the graduation of Evins and Lightbourn, who saw the most action at the top spot with 10 matches ... Zapatero played nine matches there and will look to fill in one of the spots ... he won three matches, getting back-to-back victories against Richmond and Presbyterian... also seeing action at No. 1 last year was Watkins with three matches played.
• No. 2 position: Four different teams were tried at No. 2 a year ago, with Kallick and Watkins going a team-best 4-6 ... Watkins also teamed up with Saad to collect another two wins against Winthrop and Presbyterian ... Saad also earned a win with partner Lightbourn, taking an 8-5 decision against Flagler.
• No. 3 position: The Wildcats' seven different teams at No. 3 combined to go a team-best 9-8 a year ago ... The duo of Evins and Howard along with Howard and Saad tied with three wins each ... Howard had a team-best 7-6 record ... he finished the year strong, winning four of his final six matches ... three of the wins came with Saad against The Citadel, Charlotte and Furman.
SCHEDULE
Davidson will open its 2015 season with a four-match homestand, starting against No. 24 Clemson. The Wildcats will also play Gardner-Webb, Wingate and Presbyterian during the home stretch. Later in the season, they will have a pair of three-match homestands (Feb. 21-22 & March 7-15).
The Wildcats will play their inaugural Atlantic 10 match on the road, opening at Fordham, Feb. 14. The two schools will be facing each other for the first time.
March has Davidson facing four other A-10 opponents, with three of them at home. The 'Cats will welcome George Mason (7th), No. 54 George Washington (14th) and Saint Joseph's (15th). Their final league match will be March 28 at Richmond, which is coached by former assistant Ben Johnson. Davidson has won the past two meetings and owns an 12-9 record since 1988 against the Spiders.
Davidson will also host No. 55 Elon in April as part of its non-conference slate. The Phoenix are one of five former SoCon foes the Wildcats will play this year.
The 'Cats close the regular season on the road against cross-county rival Charlotte and Appalachian State, April 7 & 11. They are seeking to halt a two-match skid against the 49ers, with their last win coming in 2011 by the score of 5-2 at home.
The Atlantic 10 Tournament takes place April 23-26 in in Cincinnati, Ohio. Last year saw George Washington earn a 4-1 victory in the championship match against VCU to won the league tournament for the third time in the past four years.
2015 Quick Facts
2015 Record Books (pdf)
DavidsonPhotos.com
DAVIDSON, N.C. — The Davidson men's tennis team starts the 2015 season off with a big matchup this weekend as they play host to No. 24 Clemson Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. in the Knobloch Tennis Center.
The Wildcats will be entering a new conference this year as they move over from the Southern Conference to the Atlantic 10.
Saturday's match vs. the Tigers is the first of four straight at home for Davidson to begin the season. It is also the third time, and second at home, since 2010 that the 'Cats have opened up against Clemson to begin the year. The Wildcats will be looking to halt a five-match losing skid in season-opening matches.
In anticipation of a strong year, below is a look at the Davidson Men's Tennis 2015 Season Preview ...
Now in their ninth season under the direction of head coach Drew Barrett, the Wildcats will enter the 2015 campaign with a fresh start. Davidson is moving from its long stay in the Southern Conference to the Atlantic 10 and the Wildcats are looking forward to the move.
"It's exciting for us and we are looking forward to seeing new teams and traveling to some new places," said Barrett. "We are thrilled about the challenge and I think the move is going to do well for us."
The 2015 team will look to learn from a tough campaign a year ago in which Davidson went just 5-18 overall and 2-7 in league play. The Wildcats faced four nationally ranked teams last year.
This year's club will feature the return of six letterwinners, including five who saw action in the starting lineup. Add in a talented freshmen group of four, who ranked 10th in the nation in the top-25 mid-major rankings by tennisrecruiting.com, and the Wildcats are set for a solid 2015 season and their first in the A-10.
SINGLES
Davidson picked up 43 singles wins and netted 20 of those against SoCon opponents. The Wildcats had one player reach the double-digit wins mark in Connor Evins, who capped off his career with a 10-13 record last year and finished 31-26 overall for his career. Also gone is Robert Lightbourn and Ethan Kallick, who combined for 12 wins last year and 34 for their careers.
•Junior Alex Howard: Played in 13 singles matches last year, collecting three wins ... was the Wildcats' main No. 5 and 6 singles player ... scored a nice 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 victory at No. 28 Auburn ... has a career mark of 8-10 in singles action.
•Junior Evan Watkins: A regular in the rotation for the first time as a sophomore last year, played in 22 total matches ... won five matches, seeing action between No. 2-6 positions ... earned first collegiate win against No. 59 Yale, taking a 4-6, 6-0, 1-0 triumph at No. 4 ... closed the season strong with a pair of singles wins against College of Charleston (6-4, 5-7, 1-0) at home and Chattanooga at the SoCon Tournament ... went 3-4 at No. 5 singles ...opened the 2014 Fall season by going a perfect 3-0 in singles action at the Davidson Invitational.
•Sophomore J.B. Gough: Broke onto the scene as a freshman, playing in 17 singles matches ... went 7-10 in those matches, playing between No. 4-6 positions ... the seven wins were third-most on the team ... had a team-best mark of 4-1 at No. 5 singles ... recorded a season-best three-match win streak, all SoCon wins against Chattanooga, Appalachian State and The Citadel ... played in five three-set matches throughout the year, winning three of them against George Mason, Georgia Southern and Chattanooga.
•Sophomore Jordan Hart: A native of McKinney, Texas, played in seven singles matches as a freshman last year ... had a record of 2-5, getting one win each at No. 5 and 6 positions ... opened collegiate career with an impressive 6-4, 6-5 triumph at No. 6 against nationally-ranked Virginia Tech ... had a solid 2014 Fall season, highlighted by winning a singles and doubles title at the Wake Forest Invitational.
•Sophomore Ricky Saad: Earned a nod in the starting lineup 10 times in singles during first season ... finished 3-7, with three of the wins coming at No. 6 ... after dropping first two collegiate singles matches, won three of the next four, including a 6-3, 7-5 win against Division II Flagler, which was ranked No. 44.
•Sophomore Zack Zapatero: Did not see any singles action for Davidson in his first year ... this past Fall, played in three of the Wildcats' six events ... finished with 18 points in singles play at the Davidson Fall Invitational at the No. 6 position ... went 3-0, including earning a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 win against Charlotte on the last day.
NEWCOMERS
For the second time during his nine-year tenure at Davidson, Barrett's incoming freshman class ranked among the top teams of the mid-majors according to tennisrecruiting.net. The Class of 2018 came in ranked 10th in the nation in the top-25 mid-major ranking by the site and was one of three A-10 teams in the rankings (George Washington, 9th & Dayton, 14th).
•David Hager: A four-year letterwinner at Edmond North in Edmond, Okla., playing both first and second singles ... won four state singles titles to become the seventh player in Oklahoma history to accomplish the feat ... finished prep career with an 83-2 record, including a 29-0 mark during senior pep season ... earned all-state honors in 2014 ... one of three Wildcats to go perfect on the weekend at the Davidson Invitational with a 3-0 singles mark for a team-best 30 points ... also led the way at the Virginia Fall Classic with a 2-1 singles record.
•Shamael Chaudhry: Comes to Davidson from the United Kingdom ... had a solid prep international career in the juniors, ranking 183rd after going 44-16 in singles ... played in three of Davidson's six Fall events ... earned 21 points to finish third in singles at the Davidson Invite.
•Artem Khrapko: The No. 1 singles player at C-PP West in Corning, N.Y. ... earned three letters ... finished 11-0 during senior season and was a three-time state participant ... went a combined 47-4 in singles as a freshman, sophomore and senior ... In first Fall season at Davidson, saw action in five of the Wildcats' six events, including winning a singles flight title at the Wake Forest Invitational.
•Jack Riazzi: A North Carolina native from Winston-Salem, was a four-year letterwinner at R.J. Reynolds ... was a four-time all-conference, all-region and all-state pick ... a 2011 and 2012 4A dual team state champion ... was honored athlete of the year at R.J. Reynolds and finished prep career with a combined record of 111-10 in singles (64-5) and doubles (49-5).
DOUBLES
Davidson's doubles teams tallied 21 wins in 2014, getting eight of those against the SoCon. The 'Cats rotated through a number of doubles combinations. They had 15 different combined teams playing No. 1-3.
• No. 1 position: The Wildcats will have a new No. 1 team again in 2015 after the graduation of Evins and Lightbourn, who saw the most action at the top spot with 10 matches ... Zapatero played nine matches there and will look to fill in one of the spots ... he won three matches, getting back-to-back victories against Richmond and Presbyterian... also seeing action at No. 1 last year was Watkins with three matches played.
• No. 2 position: Four different teams were tried at No. 2 a year ago, with Kallick and Watkins going a team-best 4-6 ... Watkins also teamed up with Saad to collect another two wins against Winthrop and Presbyterian ... Saad also earned a win with partner Lightbourn, taking an 8-5 decision against Flagler.
• No. 3 position: The Wildcats' seven different teams at No. 3 combined to go a team-best 9-8 a year ago ... The duo of Evins and Howard along with Howard and Saad tied with three wins each ... Howard had a team-best 7-6 record ... he finished the year strong, winning four of his final six matches ... three of the wins came with Saad against The Citadel, Charlotte and Furman.
SCHEDULE
Davidson will open its 2015 season with a four-match homestand, starting against No. 24 Clemson. The Wildcats will also play Gardner-Webb, Wingate and Presbyterian during the home stretch. Later in the season, they will have a pair of three-match homestands (Feb. 21-22 & March 7-15).
The Wildcats will play their inaugural Atlantic 10 match on the road, opening at Fordham, Feb. 14. The two schools will be facing each other for the first time.
March has Davidson facing four other A-10 opponents, with three of them at home. The 'Cats will welcome George Mason (7th), No. 54 George Washington (14th) and Saint Joseph's (15th). Their final league match will be March 28 at Richmond, which is coached by former assistant Ben Johnson. Davidson has won the past two meetings and owns an 12-9 record since 1988 against the Spiders.
Davidson will also host No. 55 Elon in April as part of its non-conference slate. The Phoenix are one of five former SoCon foes the Wildcats will play this year.
The 'Cats close the regular season on the road against cross-county rival Charlotte and Appalachian State, April 7 & 11. They are seeking to halt a two-match skid against the 49ers, with their last win coming in 2011 by the score of 5-2 at home.
The Atlantic 10 Tournament takes place April 23-26 in in Cincinnati, Ohio. Last year saw George Washington earn a 4-1 victory in the championship match against VCU to won the league tournament for the third time in the past four years.
Players Mentioned
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