The Navy men's tennis team concluded their fall campaign with impressive performances at the Navy Invite in Annapolis, Maryland, and the Mad Hatter Invite in DeLand, Florida. The Midshipmen showcased their depth and talent, with several players emerging as standouts during the two-tournament stretch.

Midshipmen Shine in Annapolis and DeLand

Ayinala and Nguyen Lead the Way at Navy Invite

Aniketh Ayinala and Nathan Nguyen were the driving forces for the Midshipmen at the Navy Invite, each posting 2-1 records in singles competition. Ayinala's weekend was highlighted by a trio of three-set matches, including a hard-fought victory over Markus Giersiepen from James Madison and a comeback win against Philip Hilble from Long Island. Despite a loss to Bucknell's Felix Steindel, Ayinala's resilience and determination were on full display.Nguyen also showcased his versatility, defeating Dennis Wiebe from James Madison in straight sets and rallying from a first-set deficit to take down Alessandro Danna from Long Island in three sets. Nguyen's lone loss came against Richmond's Otto Sewell in a closely contested two-set affair.

Kim and Garner Shine at Mad Hatter Invite

The Midshipmen's success extended to the Mad Hatter Invite, where Tommy Kim and Luke Garner stood out with impressive individual and doubles performances. Kim opened the weekend with a hard-fought three-set victory over Stetson's Marc Saura and followed it up with a dominant 6-2, 6-1 win against North Florida's Spencer Dorosheff. Unfortunately, Kim's match against Eastern Kentucky's Jose Miralles was cut short due to rain on Sunday.Garner, on the other hand, excelled in doubles, teaming up with Jake Young and Herrick Legaspi to secure three victories. Garner and Young first defeated the Stetson duo of Juan Rodriguez and Saura, then Garner and Legaspi took down the North Florida pairing of Andreas Scott and Bruno Vietri. Garner and Young capped off the weekend with a tiebreaker win over Ryan Kitchin and Nuno Pinheiro from Eastern Kentucky.

Depth and Consistency Across the Roster

The Midshipmen's fall success was not limited to Ayinala, Nguyen, Kim, and Garner. Nathan Nguyen and Jason Kim shared the team lead with seven singles victories, while J.J. Etterbeek and Jake Young each posted six wins. George Cutone, Tommy Kim, and Steve Nguyen all contributed five victories to the team's overall tally.In doubles, Garner and Legaspi were the standouts, compiling an impressive 10-2 record. Cutone added eight doubles wins, and Graydon Buckingham finished the autumn with seven doubles victories.

Preparing for a Promising Spring Season

The Midshipmen's strong fall performance sets the stage for an exciting spring season, which begins on January 18th when they host Saint Francis U. and St. Bonaventure. With a deep and talented roster, the Navy men's tennis team is poised to continue their success and make a lasting impact in the upcoming spring campaign.