The University of Richmond men’s tennis team won the 2026 Atlantic 10 Championship on April 25, rallying to defeat No. 3 seed Dayton in a close match at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida.
The win is significant for Richmond as it marks their first Atlantic 10 title since 2006 and their first conference championship under head coach Houston Barrick. The Spiders, seeded fifth, improved to a season record of 17-8 and became the first No. 5 seed to win the A-10 title since George Washington accomplished the feat in 2012.
Richmond clinched the championship after Cole Brashear came back from a set down on court six to defeat Dayton’s Rishi Dore with scores of 2-6, 7-6 (1), and 7-5. This victory secured the decisive fourth point for Richmond after trailing early in both doubles and singles matches. Otto Sewell started Richmond’s comeback with a straight-set win on court five, followed by Dylan Atkinson and Paxton Pritchard winning their singles matches to even up the score before Brashear sealed the match.
This appearance was Richmond’s first in an A-10 Championship final since 2021. The team now earns an automatic bid to compete in the NCAA Men’s Tennis Championship tournament beginning May 1 at campus sites across the country. The selection show is scheduled for Monday, April 27 at 4 p.m., where Richmond will learn its postseason destination.
Looking ahead, Richmond hopes to build on this momentum as they prepare for national competition.
