HAVERFORD, Pa. - Following a strong 2026 spring campaign that saw the Fords reach their second-straight Centennial Conference Final, the Haverford College men's tennis team earned five total spots on the All-Centennial Conference teams, highlighted by senior Niki Lavu earning All-Centennial Conference First Team singles honors, the conference office announced in its annual postseason awards release on Thursday afternoon.
Lavu garnered First Team All-Centennial Conference recognition in singles competition, while junior Marko Arboleda and first-year Robbie Vazquez earned First Team honors in doubles play. Arboleda additionally secured All-Centennial Conference Second Team recognition in singles alongside sophomore Teo Bortan. Junior Chait Krishna rounded out the postseason accolades for the Fords with a selection to the Centennial Conference All-Sportsmanship Team.
Competing primarily at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles positions throughout the dual-match season, Lavu posted a team-best 13-7 overall singles record while compiling a 4-1 mark in Centennial Conference action. The senior excelled at the top of the lineup, going 7-5 at first singles and 6-2 at second singles during the spring campaign. Lavu also performed well against regional competition, finishing with a 2-0 record against regionally ranked opponents with victories over No. 16 Max-William Kanz of Stevens on April 18 and No. 18 Luke Brodsky of Franklin & Marshall on April 24. He opened conference play with victories over Dickinson on March 21 and Gettysburg on March 28 before adding a key postseason triumph against Franklin & Marshall in the Centennial Conference Semifinals on May 1. Throughout the season, Lavu consistently anchored the top of the Haverford singles lineup against the region's top competition.
In doubles play, Arboleda and Vazquez earned First Team All-Centennial Conference recognition after teaming together primarily at the No. 1 doubles position. The duo posted an 8-10 overall record while going 2-2 in conference competition, consistently facing the opposition's top doubles pairing throughout the season. Arboleda and Vazquez closed the year with a victory and earned key doubles wins during the spring campaign, including triumphs against No. 7 Johns Hopkins on April 25 and No. 7 Swarthmore in the Centennial Conference Final on May 3, while competing exclusively at the top doubles flight for the Fords.
Arboleda also collected Second Team All-Centennial Conference honors in singles competition following a strong junior season. Competing primarily at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles positions, Arboleda compiled a 6-13 overall record while posting an impressive 4-1 mark against Centennial Conference opponents. The junior earned three victories at the top singles flight and added three more at second singles, including conference victories over Ursinus on March 21, Washington College on April 14, and two wins over Franklin & Marshall, including a victory against Brodsky in the Centennial Conference Semifinals on May 1.
Bortan joined Arboleda on the Second Team after putting together an outstanding sophomore campaign in singles play. The sophomore finished second on the team with 11 singles victories, compiling an 11-8 overall dual-match record while adding a 3-2 conference mark. Bortan showcased his versatility throughout the lineup, earning victories at the No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5 singles positions. He was particularly effective in the middle of the lineup, posting a combined 8-8 record between the third and fourth singles flights. Bortan closed the spring season with victories in five of his final nine completed matches, including a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Soren Rudin-Aulenbach in the Centennial Conference Semifinals on May 1.
Krishna earned a spot on the Centennial Conference All-Sportsmanship Team following another valuable season for the Fords. The junior compiled a 3-1 singles record and added doubles victories while competing throughout the lineup during conference play. Krishna finished the year undefeated in Centennial Conference singles action and contributed key depth throughout the spring season.
Swarthmore's Michael Melnikov was named Centennial Conference Player of the Year, while teammate Nikola Galov earned Rookie of the Year honors. Swarthmore's coaching staff was selected as the Centennial Conference Coaching Staff of the Year following the 2026 campaign.
