BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Carleton College men's tennis team was well honored for its runner-up finish in both the regular season and playoffs as the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) coaches handed out their end of season awards for the 2023-24 campaign. Six Knights collected a total of 13 postseason honors. Five players were named All-MIAC in singles, and five were All-MIAC for doubles. Additionally, senior
Yuv Kataria received the Arthur Ashe Award, and two Knights were tabbed to the All-Playoff Team
The Knights finished their season with a 15-6 overall record, including an 8-1 ledger in MIAC regular season action and a berth in the MIAC Playoffs championship.
Kataria is the sixth Knight since 2000 to be bestowed with the MIAC's Arthur Ashe Award, which annually recognizes a senior men's tennis student-athlete who exhibits outstanding sportsmanship and exemplary athletic, academic, and humanitarian accomplishments. The other Carleton players on that list include: Zach Pruitt (2000), Mike Ottum (2004), Andrew Hwang (2015), Patton McClelland (2017), and Leo Vithoontien (2021).
Kataria was also named All-MIAC in singles, along with sophomores
Cooper Kline and
Jack Rivkin, and first-years
Baiyun Jing and
Jasper Yang. Kataria went 11-6 in singles play, playing from No. 1 singles, including a 7-1 mark in conference play. Kline played mostly No. 3 singles for the Knights, going 11-4 and 5-1 in MIAC matches, but he swept a pair of matches at No. 1 singles. Rivkin went 12-3 on the season, playing from No. 3-6 singles as he amassed a 7-1 record in conference play as well. Jing played No. 2 singles, going 14-3 and a perfect 7-0 in conference play. Jing only lost 10 sets during his first campaign for the Knights. Yang was the final all-conference member at singles, going 13-4 at No. 2-4 singles for the Knights. Yang went 6-1 in MIAC competition.
Kataria, Kline, Rivkin, and Jing were joined on the All-MIAC Doubles Team by senior
Aniketh Vipparla, marking Vipparla's second All-MIAC selection. All five members put up winning records in MIAC doubles play, with Kataria, Vipparla, and Jing leading the way with 7-1 records in conference matchups. Rivkin was just behind that trio with a 7-2 record, with Kline also notching a 5-2 MIAC record.
Kataria received All-MIAC status in both singles and doubles all four seasons at Carleton. Kline took home All-MIAC singles recognition for the second consecutive season, and this was the third time that Vipparla was all-conference in doubles.
Kataria and Rivkin were named to the MIAC All-Playoff team, with this being Kataria's second straight selection.
The Knights went 89-30 in singles matches this season, including a 47-7 mark in conference play. They also went 36-27 in doubles matches, including an impressive 22-5 in their nine conference matches.
