For the 13th season in a row under head coach Neil Alderman, the Chapel Hill men’s tennis team finished with a winning record.
This year’s featured 14 players—six seniors and eight sophomores. On paper, it looked like the Tigers were poised for a big year thanks to their upperclassmen. In reality, it was the younger players who carried the season.
Senior captain Ivan Perumov held the top singles spot, but the next six players in the lineup were all sophomores. The team had the talent to win, but, with over half of the team expected to return over the next two seasons, the focus wasn’t all-or-nothing.
Adding to the challenge of youth was a tough schedule. The Tigers faced some of the top teams in the state, including Cardinal Gibbons, Durham Academy, Grimsley and Cary Academy.
And, of course, the team had to battle DC-6 conference rivals East Chapel Hill and Jordan. From the start, the Tigers knew wins wouldn’t come easy.
They opened the season strong, picking up wins against Pinecrest and Carrboro. Sophomores Nick Thorpe and Keagan Allman, playing in the two and three spots respectively, were especially dominant, going a combined 4-0 in their individual matches.
Then came the brutal non-conference slate. Road losses to Cardinal Gibbons and Durham Academy quickly dropped the Tigers from 2-0 to 2-2.
But the team bounced back, returning home to earn wins against Carrboro and Ravenscroft.
Then came the biggest match of the year: the conference opener against the Jordan Falcons.
The Tigers traveled to Durham to face a powerhouse Falcons team coming off a 19-1 season that ended just short of a state championship. With most of their starters returning, Jordan was hungry and undefeated at 5-0. Chapel Hill, at 4-2, was the underdog.
Jordan had been cruising past teams like Carrboro, who had played Chapel Hill close. The Tigers, though, weren’t intimidated.
Against the odds, Chapel Hill pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent school history, winning 5-4 in a dramatic match.
“Beating one of the top teams in the state was pretty awesome,” sophomore Nicco Giordano said.
Despite losses by Perumov and Thorpe at the top two singles spots, Allman, Giordano, Max Wiltberger and Jason Wagner all earned wins. In doubles play, Allman and Giordano sealed the match with a clutch victory.
Allman was named MaxPreps Player of the Match.
“It’s been a while since we’ve beaten them, so it felt pretty special,” he said.
With momentum on their side, the Tigers carried solid play through the rest of the season. They finished 5-3 in conference and 10-8 overall.
Giordano emerged as one of the team’s brightest stars, finishing 10-6 in singles play.
“I like how individual singles are, because if something goes wrong, you have only yourself to blame,” he said, “but, if you win and play well, it feels very fulfilling.”
With most of the starting lineup returning, the team is looking to the future with excitement.
“Because we had such a young team, the growth and experience have been invaluable,” Alderman said. “Next year they’ll be more prepared for the toughness of high school tennis matches. Everyone will be that much better, stronger and tougher.”
