It's been a long road for Averett University men's tennis to return to the biggest stage. But the Cougars have done it. They conquered all odds and clawed their way back to the national stage with a memorable run through the Old Dominion Athletic Conference tournament. 

They have slayed old demons, finally avenging back-to-back ODAC finals losses to Washington and Lee University with a 4-3 win on May 4 — the Cougars' first conference tennis title since 2007 when the school was in the USA South Athletic Conference, sharing the regular season trophy with Christopher Newport University and Methodist University. The last outright conference title came during the regular season in 2004, but the Cougars fell short in the conference finals. Averett's last conference tournament championship and NCAA postseason berth was in 2000.

Averett (16-5, 9-1 ODAC) played its way to contention with a packed non-conference schedule. Although the team lost to three ranked teams in non-conference play, it didn't deter the players' will. After losing to Washington and Lee in early April, the Cougars rattled off six straight wins all the way through the ODAC postseason bracket, and knocked off four ranked teams on its way to the conference crown. It was an unprecedented run made even more impressive because of the players that made it all happen.
 
The man at the helm, Bert Poole, was itching to make something like this happen since taking over as men's and women's head coach in July 2015. It all came together in 2024-25, with 16 wins and counting to go along with the program's first national ranking during his tenure. As the guys stormed into celebration by clinching the conference tournament, Poole called the feat a coaching highlight.

"It was the best moment of my professional career, and I'm so grateful to my guys for making it happen," he said. "This was a special team in so many ways and I'm thrilled that they got to experience something like this."  

In order to get where they have, Poole had a coachable group of men, but needed them to buy into competing with, not against each other.
 
"They bought into that idea on a regular basis, and raised everyone's level of play," Poole said. "This really helped our freshman players gain experience, which accelerated their development. It was a big reason why our team developed the mental toughness that served us so well throughout the season."

No matter what happens after Friday when the Cougars face Asbury University in the NCAA First Round in Atlanta, Poole wanted everyone on the team to know that they should feel nothing but gratification.
 
"I want them to take pride in the knowledge that we accomplished something that was very hard to do, and was the result of eight months of commitment, selflessness, perseverance, trust and grit," he said  "Win or lose, I want them to know that the men's tennis team of 2024-25 did something special."

The bulk of the lineup features a litany of first-years, mainly in Florian Bert, Lucas Fiandra, Satwik Kollepalli and Rafael Jodas. All played crucial parts in either singles, doubles or both to help Averett achieve its best season under Poole. 

Bert, a freshman from Frankfurt am Main, Germany, jumped straight into the starting lineup, featuring as Averett's No. 3 singles star. With hardly a year of experience under his belt, the maturity has showed as the biggest stage for his team approached. 

"It's easy to give up now, because we achieved something we never have before. We just have to give everything we have," Bert said. 

Tennis may be played mainly from the individual standpoint, but Bert points out that it is much more than that, especially at this stage in the season. 

"I don't fight for myself here, I fight for everyone," he added. "After the score went to 3-3 all in the ODAC finals, I realized this is not for me, but for us."

What can't be forgotten are the players who have been with the program, some since joining the ODAC. Veterans like junior Prabjeet Chandhok and senior Jaeden Mukkaladyil have been mainstays in the lineup for as long as they have dawned the Cougar gold.
 
Mukkaladyil, a near 20-win singles player, has only lost two dual matches at the No. 2 spot this season — his second since transferring to Averett prior to last season. The native of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, saw a noticeable shift in the team culture from a year prior, and it has made dividends for Averett. 

"One of the main differences is our belief," Mukkaladyil said. "Every match we go into, no matter who we are playing, no matter who it is, we know that we can win." 

With the NCAA Tournament beginning Friday, Mukkaladyil recognizes that from this point on, the intensity has to remain at its peak, just as it was in the conference bracket.
 
"What happened in the ODAC was special, but I keep telling myself that we want more," he said. "Asbury is just as good as Washington and Lee, and there are no teams in the tournament that do not deserve to be here."

Chandhok, a native of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, went through the trials and tribulations over the past few seasons as the team dropped back-to-back ODAC finals to Washington and Lee. Even though the Cougars turned the corner and got past the Generals this year, the team's mindset remains the same.

"Nothing has changed, we're right back to the courts, playing points," he said. "So when we are out there on Friday, we'll be absolutely ready to kick it off."

Chandhok and the team were excited to see the team's name announced where it was in the bracket, positioned to make noise in Georgia. 

"When we saw the draw, we got a great section," he said." We have a really good chance of us winning the first round, and then playing a great team after that. We're ready to grind and give it our all."

The Cougars are battle-tested, and ready for anything that comes their way. Their opponents in the first round, much like Averett, achieved new heights at an even faster rate. The Eagles of Asbury officially transitioned from NAIA to Division III this past fall, competing in the Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS). Asbury (13-3, 6-0 CCS) proceeded to conquer its schedule, posting 13 wins, and went undefeated in conference play, en route to the CCS title with a 4-2 victory over Piedmont University. In fact, Asbury hasn't lost a conference regular season match since 2011.

Asbury made history like Averett, becoming the first program in school history to compete in an NCAA Division III Tournament. Four players were featured on its all-conference team, including Alejandro Caceres and Ben Moore on the CCS First Team, and Franco Patino and Ignacio Ardiles on the Second Team. Like Poole for Averett, head coach Jarred Miller has been with the program for quite some time. With 17 years at the helm, he has accrued over 200 wins, Miller was recently named CCS Coach of the Year.

The Match: No. 33 Averett University (16-4, 9-1 ODAC) vs. Asbury University (13-3, 6-0 CCS)
Time: Friday, May 9 at 10 a.m. (Woodruff PE Center Tennis Courts, Atlanta, Ga.)
Links: Live Stats | Video Broadcast | Tournament Site
The Series: Averett and Asbury face off on collegiate tennis' largest stage, for the first time in series history.
Averett at a Glance: The Cougars snapped a streak of consecutive ODAC finals losses last Sunday, dethroning Washington and Lee in the conference championship, 4-3, sealing Averett in the national tournament for the first time since 2000. 
Asbury at a Glance: Asbury won the Collegiate Conference of the South tournament last Saturday with a 4-2 win versus Piedmont, advancing to nationals in the school's first full season in Division III action.