The ACC men’s tennis regular season wrapped up this past weekend and it settled the final seeding for the ACC tournament that will get started on Wednesday in Cary, NC. Before I get into breaking down the tournament I want to recap the season for each ACC team. How the 2018 regular season wound up, what went well and what didn’t? Obviously for many of these teams the real season judgement will come in the conference and NCAA tournament but for now I will look back and grade each team based on the regular season alone. Let’s start this comprehensive look at the ACC season from the top and work our way down to the bottom.

(1) Wake Forest  22-2, 11-1 ACC

Best Win: 4-2 vs UCLA 

Wake Forest has several great wins this season but the UCLA win edges the others because it was the ITA Indoor final and it established Wake as the team to beat in 2018. Also UCLA has gone on to have a great season, solidifying the quality of this victory.

Worst Loss: 3-4 @ Florida State

Wake only has two losses on the season, this one at FSU and the one at home vs Florida. The loss to FSU is slightly worse because Wake was in position to win on several courts before giving up leads.

Season Grade: A 

The Deacs were expected to have a very good season, having great returning talent coupled with very strong depth which made Wake a preseason national title favorite for many. They proved that they are definitely in the mix with impressive results throughout the year. Only faltering twice with a schedule of that strength gives the Deacs an A. Now let’s see if they can take that extra step in the NCAA tournament that has eluded them thus far. 

Regular Season MVP: Petros Chrysochos

It’s a very hard selection between the Wake big 3 but I lean to the Cypriot based on his 20-1 singles record. All of his 20 singles wins this season were in straight sets, meaning his teammates could count on him every match to deliver a quick point for the team and get the momentum going in their direction each time. 

Moving Forward: 

While making the final four or national title match would be a step forward for the program, Wake Forest is in a bit of a “title or bust” situation this season with how talented the squad is. They need to strike when the iron is hot and claim the national title or else the season will have feeling of disappointment despite the great regular season.

 

(2) North Carolina   20-4, 11-1 ACC

Best Win: 4-3 vs Illinois

A good rally in singles after dropping doubles vs a Illinois team who was playing very good indoor tennis at the time.

Worst Loss: 3-4 vs Texas

All 4 of UNC’s losses this season were to top 15 teams with Texas being the lowest ranked team they fell to. So while it is not really a “bad loss” it was a bit of a disappointment since it was in Chapel Hill against a fairly up and down team. 

Season Grade: A

Like Wake Forest, the Tar Heels were expected to be a national title contender this season and last year’s national runner up showed that they have the capability to get back there this year. The Heels rolled through most of the ACC competition with little sweat, including an impressive beatdown of Florida State in the last weekend of the season.

Regular Season MVP: Bo Boyden

North Carolina was expected to have a very powerful top 2 with returning NCAA runner-up Will Blumberg and highly touted Freshman Benjamin Siguoin and they both delivered all season. There were more question marks lower in the lineup for UNC and they indeed have a few struggles at 3 and 4 throughout the year and that is why Boyden was the team MVP this regular season. He went 20-1 in the dual season, rotating between positions 6, 5 and 4. He gave the Heels a critical anchor in the lower part of the lineup to pair with the power of the top 2.

Moving Forward: 

Last year’s runner up result makes the Tar Heels even hungrier this year. Repeating a trip to the final four would be a success but I doubt that would satisfy the hungry Heels, they expect a title heading into the NCAAs.

 

(3) Florida State   26-3, 10-2 ACC

Best Win: 4-3 vs Wake Forest

An epic win for the Seminoles at home vs the #1 team in the nation. They showed extreme grit by winning three tight 3-setters and out fighting the Deacs on that day in late March. 

Worst Loss: 3-4 @ Virginia Tech

One weekend after defeating Wake Forest, the Noles were upset by the upstart Hokies in a fairly shocking result at the time. 

Season Grade: A+

2018 has been one of the best seasons in history for Florida State. They started out on fire with a huge win over rival Florida on USTA College MatchDay in Orlando and the momentum just kept building. They are in great position to host a regional and make the NCAA final 16 for the first time in quite a while.

Regular Season MVP: Lucas Poullain

Poullain was the most solid #3 player in the ACC this season and gave the Noles almost a guaranteed point every match. The Frenchman boasted a 21-1 dual match record. He was instrumental for FSU in massively clutch wins over Oliver Crawford of Florida 7-6(4) 7-6(5) and 6-4 5-7 6-2 over Skander Mansouri of Wake in the Seminoles two biggest 4-3 wins of the season.

Moving Forward:

The season will be regarded as a big success regardless of what happens in the NCAA tournament. However if they were to lose in the NCAA 2nd round as a host to a #2 seeded team and fail to make in to Winston-Salem, the season will end on a sour note despite the success. Making it to Winston-Salem and the Sweet 16 is certainly the goal for FSU, to bring the program to a more national stage. 

 

(4) Notre Dame   17-12, 7-5 ACC

Best Win: 4-3 @ Texas

It was early in the season but the win over Texas was huge for the program and gave the Irish the chance to go to the ITA National Indoors event in Seattle and compete with the elite programs in America

Worst Loss:1-6 @ Virginia

A head scratching blowout loss to a scuffling Virginia team. 4 of the singles matches were not even competitive. This is the type of loss that coaches just try to flush away ASAP.

Season Grade: B

An improvement from last year with some new pieces in the lineup. The season started very strong, sagged in the middle a bit but ended with some positive momentum.

Regular Season MVP: Alex Lebedev

Lebedev had many epic matches this year with 11 dual matches going to a 3rd set and many of them with tight tiebreakers included. Lebedev got critical 3 set wins in 3 of Notre Dame’s most important 4-3 wins over Kentucky, Texas and Louisville. He also played in probably the most epic singular match of the season in all of college tennis against Alex Knight, he eventually would fall to the Wolverine but it was one of the all time battles with 9-7, 12-10 and 10-8 tiebreakers in each of the three 7-6 sets.

Moving Forward: 

Notre Dame will make the NCAA tournament and is likely to get a 2 seed. In the ACC tournament, advancing the the semifinals would be a good result. Perhaps they can recreate their early season magic in the NCAA tournament and pull off another upset of a regional host like they did in Austin during the indoor season.

 

(5) Virginia Tech    17-6, 7-5 ACC

Best Win: 4-3 vs Florida State

This win was a stunner, as VT was unranked at the time and this win started the late season rally from the Hokies. Three Hokies produced very impressive singles wins to back up the doubles point and finish off the massive upset. This win changed the season.

Worst Loss: 1-4 @ Alabama

Considering the soft nature of Virginia Tech’s early season schedule they needed this win to get a ranking, This loss was the reason for the Hokies being unranked for most of the season.

Season Grade: B

Until April the 2018 season was looking like a down year for VT and one that would not end in postseason play. But suddenly they flipped a switch and ended the regular season on a 7 match win streak including 4 wins over ranked opponents to rocket themselves from out of the top 50 to safely in the NCAA tournament.

Regular Season MVP: Mitch Harper

The Junior from Australia has been a large part of the Hokie resurgence late in the season. His personal 7 match win streak at #1 matches the team’s streak. 6 of his 7 wins in a row to end the year were over ranked opponents which has sky rocketed his own ITA ranking well into the top 50 and is now headed to the NCAA Individual tournament in May.

Moving Forward:

Missing the NCAA tournament for a 2nd straight year after making it 10 straight seasons before 2016-2017 would have been a disappointing year for Virginia Tech. but now they are effectively playing with house money and teams like this who have everything clicking are always dangerous in tournament formats. Nobody wants to see VT as a #3 seed in their NCAA tournament regional. 

 

(6) Duke   15-12, 6-6 ACC

Best Win: 6-1 @ NC State

I chose this result as Duke’e best win because it was on the road in a convincing fashion following two tough losses. it was a good rebound result in Raleigh.

Worst Loss: 3-4 @ Miami

A poor loss to a team that was likely out of the NCAA tournament before this match. It gives the Blue Devils negative energy heading into tournament time.

Season Grade: B-

Duke had an up and down season for the most part. Alvarez’s health was always a factor throughout the year and prevented Duke from having a full grip on team chemistry and didn’t allow for much momentum at any point in the year. 

Regular Season MVP: Nicolas Alvarez

You have to say that Alvarez is the team MVP based on how much it hurts Duke when he is missing from the lineup. His mere presence at 1 boosts the entire team and makes them a lot more dangerous. He also had a very nice 6-3 6-4 win over Will Blumberg of UNC in the middle of the season.

Moving Forward: 

Duke would love to upset FSU in the ACC tournament quarters, but they just lost to the Noles in the last weekend of the season so it is not likely. They will be a #2 seed in an NCAA regional and are likely staring at a 2nd round exit to finish off a ho-hum season.

 

(7) NC State  16-7, 6-6 ACC

Best Win: 4-3 @ Tennessee

A nice non-conference win on the road that showed that the Wolfpack were an improved team this year and that they could make some noise in the ACC this season. Tennessee ended up having a pretty good season in the SEC, so this victory retained it’s power throughout the season. A close 2nd is the 4-3 win over Notre Dame to get back on the winning track after losing 4 of 5

Worst Loss: 3-4 @ Miami

This loss was unexpected and at the time gave NC State a 4th loss in 5 matches in the ACC. 2-4 all lost in close 3-setters, 2 of them blowing a set lead.

Season Grade: B+ 

The 7th seed in the ACC tournament is a bit misleading for NC State. Their season was more successful than what the 7 seed would indicate. The Pack were in the top 30 for most of the season and were a dangerous team to the top teams (threatening Wake Forest in the final match of the season). This season has been a positive step for Kyle Spender and the NC State program.

Regular Season MVP: Tadas Babelis

The Freshman from Lithuania has been an integral member of the Wolfpack this season. Holding down either the 2 or 3 spot in singles, he won critical matches vs Tennessee and Notre Dame in NC State’s 2 biggest wins of the year and won a number of close matches late in the season as well. He also posted a 9-1 record since moving to #3 doubles to end the ACC season, which helped NC State be a fairly strong doubles team throughout the 2nd half of the year.

Moving Forward:

It will be an exciting NCAA tournament for NC State and they will be excited to go wherever they are selected to go to.  

 

(8) Louisville   15-10, 5-7 ACC

Best Win: 5-2 @ Duke

A surprising win for Louisville on the road in the midst of a losing skid. This win alone is what is keeping Louisville’s NCAA tournament hopes alive.

Worst Loss: 1-4 @ Miami

It seems like I am undervaluing Miami by listing them as a worst loss for several teams but this was a winnable match for Louisville. Wining this one would have boosted their ACC standing and made their bubble status less precarious.

Season Grade: B-

A season that started strong has petered out a bit with losing 6 of their last 7 in the meat of the schedule. For the most part the Cardinals have beaten who they were supposed to beat while losing to the teams they were supposed to lose to. An NCAA tournament appearance is always a positive and that is what will determine the success of their season.

Regular Season MVP: Christopher Morin-Kongoucheff

A 12-4 record at #1 singles is a pretty good record to attain including 6-3 at #1 in the ACC (1-0 at #2). He had a few nice wins over raked players and made the #1 spot a fairly strong spot for Louisville.

Moving Forward:

They must beat Virginia in the ACC tournament to secure an NCAA tournament slot where they will likely lose in R1.

 

(9) Virginia   12-11, 5-7 ACC

Best Win: 5-2 vs NC State

This win is keeping they Cavs NCAA tournament hopes alive. This and the win over Notre Dame are the wins on Virginia’s schedule that are worthy of respect.

Worst Loss: 3-4 @ Duke

I am not choosing this loss because Duke is a team they should have beat but because it was the biggest wasted opportunity for Virginia. A big chance to get an important ranking boosting win but they gave it away. The heartbreaking nature makes it especially tough as Virginia had a 4-1 lead on court 6 in the deciding match before Duke rallied to win it.

Season Grade: C

This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Virginia after their amazing dominance in recent years. It turned into one of the most puzzling seasons in the country for any team. They showed strength at the top of the lineup but weakness at the bottom (the injury to Wiersholm didn’t help). If they miss the tournament it will certainly be a disappointing year.

Regular Season MVP: Aswin Lizen

The man from the Isle of Man was definitely the most solid player for Virginia this season. His 17-4 record in singles made him the most reliable win for Virginia at #3 for most of the season. What made his season even more impressive is that this was the first season as a regular singles starter for Virginia after being a backup during his freshman and sophomore years.

Moving Forward: 

The Hoos must defeat Louisville in the 1st round of the ACC tournament to have any shot at making the NCAA tournament. Either way they do not figure to play a big role in the postseason this year, which has been unheard of in men’s college tennis in the past decade. 

 

(10) Miami    14-11, 4-8 ACC

Best Win: 4-3 vs Duke

A critical gutsy win that the Hurricanes absolutely needed. Their backs were against the wall and they responded with a strong performance against the top 25 Duke Blue Devils, with resounding singles wins on courts 1-4.

Worst Loss: 3-4 @ Boston College

The worst loss for any ACC team (possible all power 5 conferences) this season considering the stakes. This loss had the potential to torpedo their NCAA tournament hopes. BC should not challenge any ACC team with scholarships and this was an embarrassing loss for Miami.

Season Grade: B+

Miami has not made the NCAA tournament since 2011 and this could be the first time they made it in nearly a decade. It was a confusing year as they beat top 30 teams NC State and Duke while they lost to all 3 of the ACC teams below them. That can’t be classified as anything but a success and a building block for the program as they look to return to the days of past success. It is also encouraging for the future that the best play on the team came from the young players this season. 

Regular Season MVP: Bojan Jankulovski

The freshman posted a an impressive record of 19-5 during the season, 9-2 in the ACC,  playing mainly on courts 3 and 4. He also claimed the critical 1-6 6-2 7-6(5) win over Georgiy Malyshev of NC State that gave Miami their 2nd biggest win of the season over NC State. 

Moving Forward: 

It will be a close shave for Miami if they get into the NCAA tournament this year. If they beat NC State again they are likely in. 

 

 (11) Clemson   10-12, 3-9 ACC

Best Win: 4-3 vs Cornell

A surprising win at the time over what was thought to be a strong Ivy League team. Cornell underperformed a little bit as the season went on making the win over Miami possibly better than the win over Cornell but the Cornell win still barely pips it.

Worst Loss: 2-4 vs UNC Asheville

Horrendous loss for a power 5 program as UNCA is not even a threat in their own conference. The early loss to Charlotte for Clemson seemed to easily be the worst loss but it was upended by the loss to UNCA which killed all momentum that was gained after the Miami win and effectively ended the season before the ACC season even really began.

Season Grade: D

Things were looking somewhat positive early on with wins over Cornell, Georgia Tech and Miami but things wen downhill after the loss to Asheville. The Tigers finished the season on a 3-10 stretch with the only wins being against Southern Conference teams and Boston College. Expectations were not high to begin the season but it is still a bad year regardless.

Regular Season MVP: Yizhou Liu

Easily the most bright spot of the Clemson season. The Freshman from Nanjing,China improved as the season went on. He moved up in the lineup and racked up wins as the season progressed. After starting the year 4-4 he ended the season on a 10-1 run including 2 wins at #3 over South Carolina and Notre Dame. Liu should be an important building block for the future for Clemson.

Moving Forward:

Duke in the ACC tournament will likely be the last match of the season and Clemson will miss the NCAA tournament for the 4th straight season and for the 9th time in the last 11 seasons

 

(12) Georgia Tech    6-16,  2-10 ACC

Best Win: 4-3 vs Miami

The only decent win for GT this season.

Worst loss: 1-4 vs Northwestern

Despite the bad record, GT did not have a truly terrible loss, Northwestern did not end up having a good season and therefore it became the worst loss of the year for the Jackets.

Season Grade: F

The departure of Christopher Eubanks to the pros was certainly going to be a blow to the team, but even with that this year was much worse than what was anticipated. Returning players did not perform and it lead to a measly 6 win season.

Regular Season MVP: Chris Yun

Yun finished his season on a 7 match win streak at #6, all vs ACC opponents. That is impressive no matter what team it is for and for Georgia Tech it was by far the best stretch for any singles player on the team.

Moving Forward: 

No NCAA tournament for the first time since 2014. The Yellow Jackets must find a way to improve and move forward in the post-Eubanks era.

 

(13) Boston College     7-15, 1-11 ACC

Best Win: 4-3 vs Miami

Any ACC win for Boston College is a huge victory. They also came within only 1 court to beating Notre Dame after ND rested their top 2.

Worst Loss: 3-4 @ UC Irvine

Irvine is not a very good Big West program and yet BC found a way to lose to them anyway.

Season Grade: C-

The expectations for BC tennis are far far below every other ACC team considering the lack of scholarships. They are competing at a completely different level every season. This season gets a C- rather than a D or F simply because of the win over Miami and the 3-4 loss to Notre Dame. 

Regular Season MVP: Sean Mullins

A 6-7 dual season record is good enough to be the BC MVP

Moving Forward: 

Same as always