By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – This year's Ohio Valley Conference postseason awards list featured an historical haul for the Tennessee Tech tennis team, as the Golden Eagles racked up a league-high six accolades on the way to etching a prominent place in the Tech record books, announced by the conference Friday morning.
Five different Golden Eagles secured a spot on an All-OVC team, the second-most in program history, while TTU head coach Kenny Doyle was named the league's Coach of the Year for the sixth time in 12 seasons guiding the purple and gold. Carlos Vicente, Elias Grubert and Rafael Tosetto were all recognized as members of the All-OVC first team, while Evzen Holis and Andre Rodeia took home spots on the All-OVC second team.
Tech's five All-OVC recognitions are bested only by the 1990 Golden Eagles, who picked up a program-record six All-OVC selections. TTU's three All-OVC first teamers are the most for the club since 2017.
Kenny Doyle's Coach of the Year honor puts the Tech head coach in rarified air as one of only four coaches to ever win the award six times since the accolade first debuted in 1962. Western Kentucky's Ted Hornback captured the honor six times, while Murray State's Bennie Purcell and Middle Tennessee's Dale Short each seized the accolade eight times each.
Doyle helped lead the purple and gold to its eighth regular-season title in the last 10 full seasons following another undefeated conference slate that saw Tech post a 5-0 record in OVC play. After starting the year 0-5, with all five losses to "Power 5" schools, the Golden Eagles ended the regular season on a nine-match winning streak. TTU outscored its opponents 31-5 in conference action.
Carlos Vicente's (pictured above, middle) second career All-OVC first-team selection comes on the heels of a 4-1 singles conference mark, all out of the No. 1 spot in Tech's lineup. Overall, the 5-foot-8 sophomore out of Valencia, Spain leads Tech with 13 appearances in the top singles position, posting an 8-5 record in those clashes. Vicente ended the regular season on a five-match winning streak, and in doubles play, went 3-0 in OVC action.
Elias Grubert (pictured above, left) finds himself on the All-OVC first team for the first time in his career after receiving an All-OVC second-team honor in 2019. Tied for the Golden Eagle lead with nine singles wins, Grubert excelled in conference play to the tune of a perfect 5-0 league mark. Overall, the Parana, Argentina product is 3-0 out of the No. 2 position and 3-1 out of the No. 3 slot. Grubert ended the regular season on a six-match winning streak, and in doubles action, leads the purple and gold with six victories this year.
Rafael Tosetto (pictured above, right) rounds out TTU's trio of All-OVC first teamers with his second career All-OVC first-team honor. The Jacarei, Brazil native dominated out of the No. 4 singles spot with an unblemished 6-0 record this spring. Tosetto went undefeated in conference play behind a 5-0 mark and enters the OVC Tournament on a seven-match heater. In doubles play, the 5-foot-8 sophomore went 2-1 in league action, with all three battles coming out of the No. 2 position.
Evzen Holis (pictured right) earns his first All-OVC accolade with a place on the second team after controlling the No. 3 spot in the Golden Eagle singles lineup during the year. The Brno, Czech Republic product is 4-2 in that position and ended the regular season with a 3-1 overall OVC ledger. Holis also teamed up with Jun Sasagawa to make up Tech's most formidable doubles tandem, with the two combining to go 5-4, all out of the No. 1 spot in the regular season.
Andre Rodeia (pictured left) burst onto the scene in his rookie campaign en route to an All-OVC second-team selection. Tied for the team-high with nine singles wins, the Lisbon, Portugal native compiled Tech's best overall record with a 9-4 solo mark. Rodeia provided the club with a powerful punch at the bottom of the Golden Eagle order thanks to an 8-4 record out of the No. 5 slot. The 5-foot-9 freshman ended the regular season on a TTU-best eight-match winning streak, and in OVC action, posted a 2-1 mark in doubles play.
Gunning for their fifth consecutive OVC Tournament title, the Golden Eagles enter the conference tourney as the No. 1 seed. Tech will tangle with Austin Peay in Saturday's semifinal from Evansville at 10 a.m. CT. The championship match is scheduled for Sunday, Apr. 25, also at 10 a.m.
Photos by Thomas Corhern
