Tennessee Tech's
Eduardo Mena as selected as the 2016 Ohio Valley Conference Men's Player of the Year while Austin Peay’s
Lidia Yanes Garcia was tabbed the OVC Women's Player of the Year as voted on by the league's head coaches. Garcia was also named OVC Freshman of the Year while Tennessee Tech's
Guillermo Nicholas earned the OVC Men’s Freshman of the Year honor. Tennessee Tech's
Kenny Doyle was named OVC Men’s Coach of Year while UT Martin’s
Dennis Taylor was selected the OVC Women's Coach of the Year.
Mena, a sophomore, went 18-1 overall and an unblemished 9-0 in league play, at No. 1 singles play as well as 11-6 in doubles play. The Bultrago del Lozoya, Spain native was named the OVC Freshman of the Year last season. Mena won 12-straight matches in singles play coming into the OVC Tournament, the first team All-OVC selection’s only loss of the season came against the No. 1 singles player of No. 7 ranked Wake Forest. Mena is the 12th Golden Eagle to earn this honor.
A freshman from Los Realejos, Spain Garcia earned not only the OVC Women’s Player of the Year but also was named the OVC Freshman of the Year. Garcia finished the season with a 13-3 record at No. 1 singles going 9-1 in OVC play. The first team All-OVC selection along side partner Helena Kuppig went 3-6 in No. 1 doubles play in league action. Garcia is the ninth Governor to earn Player of the Year honors and the first to take home Freshman of the Year honors for Austin Peay.
Nicholas, a freshman from Villanueva de la Canada, Spain, went 23-9 overall and 9-0 in the OVC in singles play. He also posted an unblemished 7-0 mark in league doubles action while going 13-8 overall. Along with being named Freshman of the Year, Nicolas was also selected to the All-OVC first team. Nicholas is the sixth Golden Eagle to earn this honor; Tennessee Tech has taken home this honor for the second season in a row.
Doyle earns his fourth OVC Coach of the Year honor since the 2012 season, as he led the Golden Eagles to a share of its seventh regular-season title. Tennessee Tech posted a 9-0 record in OVC play going 13-6 overall. This marks the 11th time a Tennessee Tech coach has won the award.
Taylor won his seventh Coach of the Year honor; he has won this award the most in OVC women’s tennis history. He led the Skyhawks to their third regular season championship since the OVC started declaring it in 2006. The Skyhawks went 9-1 in OVC play, going 12-10 overall. Taylor has taken home all seven of UT Martin’s Coach of the Year awards.
Joining Mena on the men’s All-OVC first team are Belmont junior
Cedric Dujacquier (Feluy, Belgium); Eastern Kentucky sophomore
Ramon van Flymen (Oosthuizen, Netherlands) and senior
Alex álvaro (Madrid, Spain): Morehead State junior
Ritchie Kruunenberg (Nieuw-Vennep, Netherlands); Tennessee Tech junior
Alberto Esteban (Madrid, Spain) and freshman
Guillermo Nicolas (Villanueva de la Canada, Spain). Making up the men’s second team is Austin Peay freshman
Almantas Ozelis (Marijampole, Lithuania); Eastern Illinois senior
Robert Skolik (Huntington, W.Va.); Eastern Kentucky freshman
Guillem Sanchis (Pune, India); Morehead State senior
Gabriel Ruiz (Tarija, Bolivia); SIU Edwardsville senior
Patrick Gaffigan (Springfield, Ill.); Tennessee State senior
Daniel Bernal (Bogota, Colombia); and Tennessee Tech senior
Alex Arovin (Donetsk, Ukraine).
In addition to Garcia, the women’s All-OVC first team honorees include Austin Peay freshman
Claudia Yanes Garcia (Los Realejos, Spain); Eastern Illinois sophomore
Grace Summers (Cordova, Tenn.); Eastern Kentucky sophomore
Laura Argente (Castellon, Spain); SIU Edwardsville junior
Lexi Aranda (Longwood, Fla.); UT Martin juniors
Sarah Candeloro (Dover, Del.) and
Hitomi Naito (Tokyo, Japan). Making up the women’s second team is Eastern Illinois junior
Kelly Iden (Fishers, Ind.); Eastern Kentucky freshman
Corentine Bodin (La Rochette, France); Morehead State senior
Ayaka Terashi (Tokyo, Japan);
Murray State senior
Megan Blue (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada); SIU Edwardsville junior
Mia Frogner (Oslo, Norway) and freshman
Madeline Hill (Topeka, Kan.).
2016 All-Ohio Valley Conference Men's Tennis Teams
FIRST TEAM
Cedric Dujacquier, Belmont
Ramon Van Flymen, Eastern Kentucky
Alex Alvaro, Eastern Kentucky
Ritchie Kruunenberg, Morehead State
Eduardo Mena, Tennessee Tech
Alberto Esteban, Tennessee Tech
Guillermo Nicolas, Tennessee Tech
(Seven players appear on the first team due to a tie)
SECOND TEAM
Almantos Ozelis, Austin Peay
Robert Skolik, Eastern Illinois
Guillem Sanchis, Eastern Kentucky
Gabriel Ruiz, Morehead State
Patrick Gaffigan, SIUE
Daniel Bernal, Tennessee State
Alex Arovin, Tennessee Tech
(Seven players appear on the second team due to a tie)
OVC PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Eduardo Mena, Tennessee Tech
OVC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Guillermo Nicolas, Tennessee Tech
OVC COACH OF THE YEAR: Kenny Doyle, Tennessee Tech
2016 All-Ohio Valley Conference Women's Tennis Teams
FIRST TEAM
Lidia Yanes Garcia, Austin Peay
Claudia Yanes Garcia, Austin Peay
Grace Summers, Eastern Illinois
Laura Argente, Eastern Kentucky
Lexi Aranda, SIUE
Sarah Candeloro, UT Martin
Hitomi Naito, UT Martin
(Seven players appear on the second team due to a tie)
SECOND TEAM
Kelly Iden, Eastern Illinois
Corentine Bodin, Eastern Kentucky
Ayaka Terashi, Morehead State
Megan Blue, Murray State
Mia Frogner, SIUE
Madeline Hill, SIUE
OVC PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Lidia Yanes Garcia, Austin Peay
OVC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Lidia Yanes Garcia, Austin Peay
OVC COACH OF THE YEAR: Dennis Taylor, UT Martin