WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The College Sports Communicators announced their 2026 Academic All-District Team for men's tennis today, with four student-athletes from Williams College being recognized — senior captains Daniel Chen and Simon Volkema, as well as sophomores Carter Fayard and Jack Ling. Volkema is earning this honor for a third time with Chen garnering it for a second straight year.
Chen, who is a computer science and economics double major from Oakland, California, is currently ranked seventh nationally in doubles with Volkema, a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and a double major in art and economics. The duo has an 18-10 overall record (12-5 in dual matches) and were honored by the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) on the All-NESCAC First Team in doubles. They will also compete at the 2026 NCAA Division III Doubles Championship in Chattanooga, starting on May 23.
Chen has been first-team All-NESCAC in doubles for three consecutive years, and was selected for the second team in singles as well, playing primarily at No. 2 with a 13-8 overall record. In 2024, he received All-America honors from the International Tennis Association (ITA) in doubles and in singles the following year. Chen is a two-time ITA Scholar-Athlete as well as a member of the 2025 NESCAC All-Academic Team, plus has won 45 singles matches and 57 doubles matches in his career.
Playing at No. 1 singles for the Ephs with a 12-12 mark, Volkema was chosen for the All-NESCAC First Team and has won 50 singles matches in his career, not to mention 56 doubles victories. Two years ago he helped Williams advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Championship with a straight-set win, plus won both of his doubles matches in the 2023 NCAA Championship to lend a hand in the Ephs reaching the quarterfinals.
A statistics major from New Orleans, Louisiana, Fayard played primarily at No. 2 doubles for Williams this year, sporting a 11-12 record to go with a 6-4 mark in singles action.
Ling, who hails from Princeton, New Jersey, and is an art and economics double major, comkpeted in singles matches almost exclusively, boasting a 12-9 mark while playing primarily at No. 5 and No. 6.
To be considered for Academic All-District honors, a tennis student-athlete must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically, have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and have played in at least 75 percent of their team's scored events. The Academic All-America team will be announced on June 3.
Williams finished the 2025-26 season 24th in the national rankings with an 11-6 record.
