After a trip to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012 and a Conference USA title, MTSU men’s tennis coach Jimmy Borendame received Coach of the Year honors on Tuesday.
It is Borendame’s first time winning the award in his ninth season as head coach of the Blue Raiders.
The Blue Raiders finished the year with an 18-12 record after falling short to its opening round opponent North Carolina State, but that result would not put a damper on the accomplishments the team achieved throughout the year.
Freshman Stijn Slump took home Freshman of the Year and Co-Outstanding Player of the Championship after an incredible series of results throughout the C-USA Championship title run including clinching wins against UTSA and Rice. Slump finished the season with a 9-8 record at No. 2 singles.
Senior Gonzalo Morell shared Outstanding Doubles Team of the Championship with freshman Pavel Motl with an undefeated 3-0 record on no. 3 doubles. The pairing never broke a sweat in its matches including the Championship against Florida Atlantic.
Morell and Slump both made First Team All-Conference USA Singles while Motl made the Second Team. Morell finished the year 8-8 at no. 1 singles, while Motl was a dominant 13-5 at no. 6 singles including the championship-clinching win vs FAU.
Chris Edge and Tom Moonen made it as high as No. 52 in the nation in the ITA Doubles rankings and were rewarded for another solid campaign as a duo by making the Second Team All-Conference USA Doubles alongside Motl and Morell. Edge and Moonen finished the year with a 15-6 record as MTSU’s top doubles pairing.
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