Ethan Carr, ’26, has put up an impressive first-year campaign for the Allegheny men’s tennis program. He has dominated on the court, racking up seven victories throughout singles and doubles play during the fall. Providing an immediate impact on the roster, Carr looks to keep things going with the spring under way and was added to the “Players to Watch” list by the Presidents’ Athletic Conference.

One of his early standout performances came during the Intercollegiate Tennis Association tournament in St. Louis, Missouri. Hosted by Washington University from Friday, Sept. 23, through Sunday, Sept. 25, Carr and his doubles partner, Anton Hedlund, ’25, went on to win the East Region consolation bracket.

This was no small feat. After dropping their first match in the main bracket to No. 2 nationally ranked Case Western Reserve University’s Chris Provenzano and Sahil Dayal — who played in the 2021-22 NCAA Division III Championships for CWRU last spring — the tandem battled back with five consecutive victories in a row to win the event, with the last via a walkover.

“That was a great opportunity,” Carr said. “(Now I am) looking forward to the season here.”

Carr and Hedlund have seemed to find good chemistry throughout their partnership this season. While Hedlund provides the power with his flaming serves and strong hits, Carr provides the finesse and touch to keep opponents on their toes.

Carr has been playing the game since he was three-and-a-half years old. His mom was the one to introduce him to the racquet, and he has been playing ever since.

“My mom lived in China,” Carr said. “Whenever she came to the States and married my dad, she figured tennis is a great retirement sport. She helped me pick it up as she picked it up, and we both kind of fell in love with the game at the same time.”

From King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, Carr attended Harriton High School and knew Allegheny was a good fit for him. He appreciated the small size of the school, which included a good student-to-faculty ratio.

Carr not only saw the strong academic presence Allegheny had to offer, but he was forthwith accepted into the tennis culture. With just over one semester under his belt, Carr has found his home and enjoys the Gator atmosphere.

“I am really liking Allegheny,” Carr said. “Being able to do things my freshman year as soon as you get on the team, it is a great opportunity.”

The Gators have another great opportunity with competing at a high level the rest of the spring. They were named the PAC favorites after winning nine matches last season in the North Coast Athletic Conference. Though the team started off with a small blemish to Case Western in an out-of-conference matchup, they have plenty of time to leave their mark and redeem their high praise.

Allegheny will compete against Oberlin on March 1, followed by their spring break trip down to Hilton Head, South Carolina, where they will play four different teams from March 4 through March 12. From there, conference pay begins in the Swamp versus Franciscan University on March 24. High hopes and expectations are riding on this season, but players are confident they can deliver.

“We want to remain humble, but at the same time we want to recognize that we have the potential to go big and go far,” Carr said.