ERIE, Pa. – Penn State Behrend men's tennis freshman Ritvik Nadikude (Hyderabad, India/The Gaudium School) was selected the 2023 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Player and Newcomer of the Year, while head coach Jeff Barger was named Coach of the Year.
In addition to Nadikude, the Lions had seven players selected to the All-AMCC team. Behrend swept all 12 First-Team honors, while Barger earns his seventh Coach of the Year accolades for helping the Lions claim back-to-back conference titles and earn the AMCC Regular-Season Championship.
Nadikude is the program's 10th AMCC Player of the Year and eighth Newcomer of the Year. He went undefeated in AMCC play and 19-2 overall at No. 1 singles, finishing the regular season on a 16-match winning streak. He also went undefeated at No. 1 doubles in conference play, while finishing 18-3 overall with teammate Jonathan Laier (Lansing, MI/Holt).
Laier and Nadikude were 7-0 together in AMCC action, only giving up eight set points in those matches. Laier was also named to the First Team at No. 2 singles. Solely playing at the No. 2 spot, the sophomore tallied a 14-6 overall record. Laier went 7-0 in conference play and is 8-1 in his last 10 matches with his match at the AMCC finals went unfinished.
Mitchell May (Erie, PA/Harbor Creek) was chosen to the First Team for No. 3 singles and No. 2 doubles. The senior registered a 5-0 record at No. 3 singles in AMCC play and was 11-7 overall from that position. May teamed with Aidan Piazza (Fairview, PA/Fairview) to be the top duo at No. 2 doubles in the conference with a 3-0 record. May and Piazza finished the season 5-3 in the second spot.
Mason Harbaugh (Greensburg, PA/Hempfield) was the fourth player to win First-Team accolades at both singles and doubles. The senior led the Lions at No. 4 singles, going 6-0 in AMCC play and 10-3 overall. Harbaugh as won his last 10 matches at No. 4 singles. He also joined Evan Dean (New Castle, PA/Neshannock) at No. 3 doubles. The pair won three matches together in conference action and were 7-1 together, winning their last seven straight matches.
Cody Jaconski (DuBois, PA/DuBois) and Chris Pham (Jefferson Hills, PA/Thomas Jefferson) were selected on the All-Conference Team for the first time in their careers. Jaconski was recognized at No. 5 singles for going 5-0 in AMCC play and finished 6-4 in that position, but 8-9 overall at singles over the course of the season. Pham played at No. 6 singles and posted a 4-1 conference record. Overall, Pham went 5-6 in singles play.
