WASHINGTON, Pa. – After a promising 2023-24 season, the Washington & Jefferson College men's tennis team looks to continue to trend upwards under second year head coach
Matt Lynch.
"You never know what you are going to get when you inherit a team, but these guys showed me last year that they wanted to win and work hard," said Lynch. "Some highs to last season would be winning against Geneva and Westminster. Both of those wins broke a three-year losing streak to those schools. Some lows to the season were some health issues among our roster and falling short against Franciscan in PAC tournament play."
2023-24 Season Review: The Presidents finished the season with a 7-10 overall record and put up a 4-4 Presidents' Athletic Conference record last spring.
W&J began their spring slate with a split in conference play. The Presidents dropped a contest to Division II Davis & Elkins but pulled out a sweep over Pitt-Greensburg, 9-0.
W&J opened conference play with two losses to Saint Vincent and Grove City but bounced back with a three-match win streak. During their winning run, the Presidents swept Waynesburg and Thiel and edged Geneva, 5-4.
The Presidents wrapped the season going 1-2 in the remaining slate, registering an 8-1 victory over Westminster.
The Presidents' .500 mark in conference matches granted the men their first appearance to the PAC Tournament since the 2020-21 season. Both occurrences, W&J was bested by Franciscan in the quarterfinals.
W&J earned four all-conference selections following their successful season efforts. Those earning the recognition were
Jackson Akers (Logan, W.Va./Logan),
Alex Duing (South Park, Pa./South Park),
Abhinav Yarramaneni (Mountain View, Calif./Los Altos) and
Nick Bussard (New Kensington, Pa./Valley) as All-PAC Honorable Mentions.
| 2025 PAC Men's Tennis Preseason Coaches' Poll |
| School (first-place votes) |
Points |
2023-24 Records |
| 1. Allegheny (8) |
64 |
16-6, 8-0 PAC |
| 2. Grove City |
54 |
13-7, 7-1 PAC |
| 3. Saint Vincent (1) |
52 |
15-7, 5-3 PAC |
| 4. Franciscan |
41 |
8-11, 5-3 PAC |
| 5. W&J |
37 |
7-10, 4-4 PAC |
| 6. Geneva |
30 |
7-6, 4-4 PAC |
| 7. Westminster |
22 |
2-10, 2-6 PAC |
| 8. Waynesburg |
16 |
2-11, 1-7 PAC |
| 9. Thiel |
8 |
1-9, 0-8 PAC |
2024 PAC Players to Watch:
Lynch on consistent improvement from the team since becoming the head coach and how the team remains motivated to consistently elevate their game:
"Winning the conference is all the motivation that they should need. It is my job to get them to believe that they can do it. It is mostly a mental battle so it can be challenging at times when emotions can be like a roller coaster for some players. At the end of the day just keep visualizing your team holding the PAC banner at the end of the season. Take it one match at a time and just strive to be better than the day before."
Team Captains: Jackson Akers,
Nate Clarke,
Alex Duing
"This is an experienced team that knows what to expect," stated Lynch. "When you are a captain, you need to set the tone for the rest of the team. So far, all three are doing what they are supposed to do."
Returners: W&J welcomes back eight returners from last year's squad: Akers,
Nate Clarke (New Kensington, Pa./Valley),
Jiovanni DeChicchis (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township), Duing,
Mitch Kenney (North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin),
Nick Kubik (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan),
Connor Simms (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon McMillan), and Yarramaneni.
"Heading into this season I have a full healthy roster with the addition of a few new players that could make an impact," replied Lynch. "That mixed with some experience gained on my part as a coach should lead us to have a stronger season than last year."
With the longest tenure on the team, Yarramaneni has compiled an impressive collegiate career thus far. The lone senior posted a 7-6 record last season in singles, with a majority of his matches being played at No. 3 singles. Abhinav posted a 6-7 total doubles record between two partners.
"He [Yarramaneni] is a real competitor," replied Lynch. "No matter who we are playing he believes in himself, and that confidence rubs off on his teammates."
The majority of the team comes from a strong junior class, consisting of Akers, Clarke, Duing, Kenney and Simms.
Akers headed the Presidents' men's tennis team at No. 1 singles and doubles. The junior compiled a 7-7 singles record while posting a combined doubles record of 6-8.
"Jackson is obviously a crucial part to the success of the team. He has his work cut out for him towards the top of the lineup," said Lynch. "Every single match he has to face the top player from the rival school. This can be difficult at times mentally and physically. Keeping Jackson mentally prepared even in the face of adversity sets the tone for the rest of the team."
Duing took the role of No. 2 singles and doubles alongside Akers. As an All-PAC selection, Duing posted a 5-9 singles record and a combined 6-9 doubles record. So far in fall play, the junior boasts the Presidents' best singles record with a 3-2 record at No. 2 and 4 singles.
The Presidents also welcome back DeChicchis and Kubik who will look to factor into the lineup. DeChicchis is a dual-sport athlete on the men's tennis and wrestling teams. Kubik looks to bounce back this season after a limited season as a freshman.
"He [Kubik] suffered a season ending injury last year and did not even see the court," stated Lynch. "He has some talent, I got to see a bit of it in the fall. Excited to have him in the lineup."
Newcomers: The W&J men's tennis team welcomes four new players to the roster for the 2025 season.
"Expectations are high, they are the future of this program," said Lynch. "My team knows that you do not get special treatment for being an upperclassman. If a freshman is able to beat a senior consistently then they will start ahead of the senior. That motivates the newcomers to work hard and in return pushes the upperclassmen as well."
Srivatsa Bellamkonda So. Sewickley, Pa. / North Allegheny
Chase Sloane Fr. Canonsburg, Pa. / Canon-McMillan
Jared Solorzano Fr. Hanover, Pa. / Hanover Senior
Aarav Surapaneni Fr. Coraopolis, Pa. / Moon Area
Coaching Staff:
Matt Lynch enters his second season as the head tennis coach at Washington & Jefferson College for both the men's and women's teams. Lynch was named the new leader of the Presidents in late January of 2024.
Lynch guided the men's team to a 4-4 conference record and a berth in the 2024 PAC Tournament in April. Four Presidents earned All-PAC honors following the season.
Lynch has a diverse coaching background, having served as a tennis instructor at Glen Creek Tennis Club since the summer of 2015. There, Lynch managed clinics and conducted private lessons for players across various ages and levels of play.
At the collegiate level, Lynch played at PAC rival Grove City, even beating W&J for the 2015 PAC Men's Tennis Championship title. Lynch later transferred to Division II program West Liberty University, where Lynch was a consistent starter.
Lynch graduated from California University of PA in 2020, where he served as a student assistant coach for the women's tennis program for nearly two years.
Bailey Phillips also returns as the team manager in 2025, assisting Lynch throughout the season. Phillips recently wrapped her senior season with the W&J women's tennis team, finding her way on the Fall PAC Academic Honor Roll.
Looking at the Schedule: W&J opens the spring season with a non-conference match against West Liberty, Saturday (Feb. 22) at 3:00 p.m. to gear up for PAC play.
The Presidents are slated to begin PAC play in Washington, Pa. at the Janet Swanson Tennis Center when they host Geneva on Thursday (March 20) at 5:30 p.m.
W&J splits away and home matches at Westminster Monday (March 24) and at home against Waynesburg (March 28). With a brief pause in conference play, the Presidents manage a quick turnaround to compete against the hosting Mount Union Purple Raiders on Saturday (March 29).
The Presidents remain on the road on April 2 to compete against the Thiel Tomcats at 4:30 p.m.
W&J returns to their home courts for a three-match home stand. Their home stint begins with a PAC match against Saint Vincent on Friday (April 4) at 4:00 p.m. followed by a nonconference match with Penn State Altoona on Saturday (April 5) at 3:00 p.m. Their home stand concludes with a match against conference opponent, Franciscan, on Sunday (April 6) at 1:00 p.m.
The Presidents finish the season with two PAC and one nonconference matches. Their final slate begins with a trip to Grove City on Friday (April 11) followed by hosting Pitt-Greensburg in non-league play on Tuesday (April 15). The Presidents cap their 2025 regular season slate against Allegheny on Thursday (April 17).
The six-team PAC Championship Tournament will begin on Tuesday, April 22.
Last Word from Lynch: "Goals are the same. Win the PAC. I also set smaller goals to accomplish during the season, like snapping losing streaks. That was a big morale boost for the guys last year when it happened so I expect to see the same and even better results this year. That is the expectation, nothing less. Go Presidents!"
