Men's Tennis | 3/18/2025 3:03:00 PM
GREENSBORO – Ian Pedersen has emerged from the shadow of some of his former talented teammates with multiple accolades to carve out his legacy with the North Carolina A&T men's tennis program.
Pedersen earned his first-ever conference weekly honor of his career on Tuesday when the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) named him its co-player of the week in men's tennis. It marks the first time since April 4, 2023, that the Aggies men's program earned a weekly honor from the CAA.
His former teammates Vasil Ivanov and Esteban Lopez earned multiple weekly honors from the Big South Conference and CAA alike, while Pedersen competed as either the No. 5 or No. 6 singles player. But now Pedersen has emerged as the Aggies No.1/No. 2 singles player and is excelling.
Head men's tennis coach Dejon Bivens, who referred to Pedersen as "Ice," said Pedersen has been working hard to take on the best players in the country.
"He has been loyal to A&T," said Bivens. "He never complains, he never quits, and he gives his all for A&T. He has been doing everything I've asked and, as a result, is playing unbelievable tennis. The results of the last month or so speak for themselves. He absolutely deserves to be player of the week."
Pedersen opened the week with a three-set win at No. 2 singles over Norfolk State's Deniz Okyay. A&T used the win to defeat the Spartans in a tight one, 4-3. The next day, Pedersen played at No. 1 singles against Long Island University (LIU).
He responded with a three-set win over LIU as the Aggies defeated the Sharks 4-2. A&T also played No. 1 Wake Forest last Sunday, losing to the Demon Deacons 4-0. But at No. 1, Pedersen had a second-set lead over the 65th-ranked player in the nation, Ioannis Xilas, after Xilas won the first set off Pedersen.
This season, Pedersen is 9-3, including a 5-0 record at No. 2 singles. He is 46-21 for his career, including a 37-10 record over the past three seasons. Pedersen and A&T return to action on Wednesday, March 26 when they face Montreat College in Montreat, NC.
