Tennis Teams Hand Out Awards at Annual Banquet
4/28/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
TUSCALOOSA ?? The Alabama men’s and women’s tennis teams honored several of it players and thanked a number of its most loyal fans Thursday night at its annual team banquet.
On the men’s side, junior Joseph Jung was named the team’s Most Valuable Player. Jung has played the entire season for Alabama at the No. 1 singles position and is just one win shy of recording his third straight 20-win season. He’s also recorded an outstanding 12-4 record this season in three-set matches. Several of those wins were instrumental in Crimson Tide victories.
Sophomore Sammy Struyf took home a pair of awards. He was named the team’s most improved player after posting a 17-13 singles record, including a 5-4 record in conference play. He’s worked his way up the Tide’s singles line-up to the No. 3 position, where he recorded a win in the opening round of the SEC Tournament against Auburn. Struyf’s development has been instrumental in Alabama’s late-season push to the post-season. As an engineering major, Struyf also has the team’s highest GPA.
One of the biggest additions for the Tide this season has been freshman Dan Buikema, who was awarded the “100 percent Award”. Buikema is 17-11 this season and has won seven of his last eight matches and has been key to the team’s success at the bottom of the line-up in the latter stages of the season. Alabama is 18-3 at No. 4 ?? 6 in its last six matches.
“Dan hit the ground running from the time he got here,” Alabama assistant coach Lee Nickell said. “He works hard everyday and helps everyone else on this team get better.”
For the women, senior Ashley Bentley was named the team’s Most Valuable Player. Bentley has had, arguably, her best season this year. She’s 25-11 heading into the NCAA Tournament and has moved into the second place on the school’s all-time career wins list. Last week she earned First-Team All-SEC honors after going 8-3 in conference play this season and also won her second straight SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award.
Senior Melissa Minor was awarded the “X-Factor Award” and will forever leave her legacy on the award as head coach Jenny Mainz announced that, beginning next year, the award will be renamed the “Melissa Minor X-Factor Award”. Minor was forced to miss the season after a knee injury this summer ended her career, but she has stayed on with the team as a student-coach and has remained an integral part to the team’s success.
Junior Mari Muller was named the team’s most improved player. Muller joined the school’s exclusive “21-win Club” for the first time this season while playing at No. 3 singles. Her development and success helped the Tide win its second SEC Western Division Title as she won two third-set match-clinching victories.
And senior Robin Stephenson took home the “100 percent Award”. Stephenson is already the Tide’s most decorated player. She holds the school’s all-time career wins record in both singles and doubles and has reached as high as No. 4 in the ITA rankings. She was named First-Team All-SEC last week and is a candidate to earn All-American honors for the second consecutive season.
Both teams will move into the NCAA Tournament beginning May 12. NCAA bids will be handed out on May 3 on ESPNEWS at 7:30 p.m. CT.
