The Chapel Hill men’s tennis team secured second place in the DC-VI 4A Conference, finishing the season 10-5 overall and going 6-2 in conference.
The Tigers advanced to the playoffs, where the team was upset by Apex High School 5-4 on May 1.
Seven of the team’s ten players—seniors Javier Cone and Ayan Patel; junior Ivan Perumov, and freshmen Keagan Allman, Niccolo Giordano and Nicholas Thorpe—all qualified for individual regional competitions.
Perumov and Patel reached the semifinals in singles in the DC-VI 4A Conference, while Allman and Cone reached the conference finals in doubles.
“I will miss the competitive yet fun environment the team created during practices, bus rides and matches,” Patel said.
Allman believed that the upperclassmen were examples of leadership throughout the season.
“I was impressed by how nice and welcoming the upperclassmen were to the freshmen,” Allman said. “They modeled leadership and sportsmanship, which I really appreciated.”
Senior Ismayil Ismayilli judged the season a success, particularly since the Tigers defeated their crosstown rivals, East Chapel Hill High School.
“I think the season has gone great; the team has played dominantly throughout the season with some exceptions, but it’s definitely the strongest it has been in some time,” Ismayilli said. “The highlight of the season was sweeping East 9-0 during our first match against them.”
Head coach Neil Alderman felt that the season was one of continual improvement.
“The season has been one of constant improvement, and the team has worked hard and stayed positive,” Alderman said. “I feel like the team members have become good friends and the team dynamic is fantastic.”
