SPORTS

Yash Parikh in a 2019 match vs Elon

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — After competing against a tough slate in the 2021 spring season, the Davidson men’s tennis team has earned one of the Atlantic 10’s top seeds heading into the championship tournament this week.

Per the league’s announcement on Tuesday, the Wildcats have earned the No. 4 slot in the A-10 men’s championship, and will compete against No. 6 George Mason on Friday at 9:30 a.m. from Orlando, Fla. Both the ‘Cats and the Patriots have clinched first round byes and will go head-to-head in the tournament’s quarterfinal matchup.

“I’m looking forward to playing in the tournament this year,” said Head Coach Drew Barrett. “I know our guys are excited and ready for the challenge ahead. This is something we’ve been working towards all year. We’ve had our challenges but our guys are looking good and I am excited for what’s to come.”

Davidson has a history of competing strongly against George Mason, as the ‘Cats are 6-1 against the Patriots since 2014, and have won the last four consecutive meetings. Most recently, the Wildcats battled Mason back in March of 2019 where Yash Parikh, Sam Kavarana and Camden Mazzoni all helped Davidson to a commanding 4-0 victory.

This year, the ‘Cats head into the tournament with two new aces up their sleeves in rookies Maxwell Kachkarov and Alejandro Solares. The Wildcats have gotten a spark from freshman Kachkarov, who won eight singles matches this season and Solares, who was twice named A-10 Rookie of the Week.