Season Recap: Men's Tennis

• The Piedmont men's tennis team continued its ascent in 2024, capturing the team's first ever CCS Regular Season Title and shattering the single-season program record with 19 wins.
• In the non-conference slate, the Lions won a hard-fought 5-4 match at Transylvania on the opening day of the season.
• During the team's first home stretch of the season, Piedmont punctuated it with another hard-fought battle, prevailing over Methodist 6-3 on Feb. 25.
  • The win marked the team's first ever victory at home over the Monarchs.
• Piedmont also delivered a perfect 5-0 record on its Orlando Spring Break Trip.
• On April 6, the Lions delivered in the biggest match of the season to that point, taking down Covenant at home 7-2 to put itself in the driver's seat for a CCS Regular Season Championship.
• The Lions then clinched a perfect CCS regular season and the CCS Title with a 9-0 home win over Belhaven on Senior Day.
• Postseason awards saw Matt Williams earn CCS Coach of the Year for the second straight season while freshman Charles Parnell was named Rookie of the Year. In addition, six Lions earned All-CCS honors.
• The postseason saw the Lions fall just short, losing 5-1 to Covenant in the CCS Tournament Final.

• Piedmont earned a huge point in doubles after the match was tied 1-1 as Mike Porcelli and Bryce VanOrder fought back from down 6-3 to earn an 8-7 (3) win at No. 3 doubles.
• Silas Sandles and Charles Parnell took an 8-3 win at No. 2 doubles to put Piedmont on the board first while Methodist claimed No. 1 doubles 8-6. 
• Leading 2-1, Sandles was the first off in singles with a 6-3, 6-0 win at No. 6 followed by VanOrder who won at No. 2 6-2, 6-2. The Lions were leading 4-1 and needed just one, but the Monarchs took their first line in singles at No. 1 as Yannick Wassmer Navarro lost 6-2, 7-6 (5). 
• It came down to the final three matches on the court as Piedmont needed just one win. It was freshman Mark Backeberg who was the first to deliver with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 win at No. 3 for the clinch. Connor Phelps also won at No. 4 6-4, 7-6 (8), 6-3. 
• The win marked Piedmont's first ever at home over Methodist.

Recap | Box Score

• In a three-set marathon, Bryce VanOrder played hero, delivering the clinching win with the match still well up for grabs.
• The win marks Piedmont's first over Covenant since 2019 and snapped a six-match losing streak to the Scots.
• The Lions began the day in strong fashion, taking two-of-three doubles matches to grab control of the match.
• It was Mike Porcelli and Charles Parnell delivering an 8-4 win at No. 2, while Connor Phelps and Yannick Wassmer Navarro prevailed 8-5 at No. 3.
• Although the Lions dropped the first set at No. 1 and No. 2, freshman Mark Backeberg delivered an emphatic first set win and followed it up by closing out his match in straight sets for a 6-2, 6-4 triumph while Onufrock rolled to a 6-4, 6-0 win at No. 1 over Wassmer Navarro.
• Taking the court after Backeberg, Porcelli dominated from start to finish at No. 5, as he did not drop a game in his opening set before closing the door in a solid second set as well, 6-0, 6-2.
• VanOrder then turned the tides of his match by winning his second set, 6-3, to force a third. The senior quickly raced out to a 4-0 lead in the deciding set, but Dreslinski battled back before VanOrder finally closed out the match with a 7-5 win in the third set for a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 win overall.

Recap | Box Score

• Piedmont got off to a strong start taking all three doubles lines with 8-2 decisions at No. 2 & No. 3. Mike Porcelli and Charles Parnell were first to finish at No. 2 followed by Kody Dills and Bryce VanOrder making quick work at three. 
• Mark Backeberg and Silas Sandles fell behind at No. 1 5-2 but were able to shut down the five-time CCS Doubles Team of the Week in Belhaven's Abraham Gonzalez and Justin Humphrey. Backeberg and Sandles charged back to take six straight and seal an 8-5 win for the sweep in doubles. 
• Parnell posted the first singles victory at No. 1, 6-2, 6-0 followed by a simultaneous finish at No. 2 & No. 3 by seniors Bryce VanOrder and Mike Porcelli, respectively. VanOrder posted a 6-2, 6-1 win while Porcelli ended 6-0, 6-2 giving the seniors the clinch in the match and of the CCS Regular Season Championship. 

Recap | Box Score

• For the second consecutive season, Head Coach Matt Williams was named CCS Coach of the Year.
• Freshman Charles Parnell was named CCS Rookie of the Year after an impressive debut season.
• Parnell was joined by Yannick Wassmer Navarro and Bryce VanOrder on the All-CCS First Team.
• Seniors Mike Porcelli and Silas Sandles joined freshman Mark Backeberg on the All-CCS Second Team