May 29, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The Texas A&M men's tennis team closed out one of the best seasons in program history ranked No. 14 nationally in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Collegiate Tennis Rankings.
The Aggies put together an impressive 17-9 overall record which included a pair of top 10 victories over eventual national champion USC on March 19 and perennial Big Ten Conference power Illinois on March 15. They made their 16th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and reached the NCAA Sweet 16 for the ninth overall time in program history under co-Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year Steve Denton, who collected his 100th career victory in a 4-3 win over LSU on March 21, and ITA South Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year Bob McKinley.
With the third-toughest schedule in the country, A&M was ranked as high as No. 11 during the course of the season and finished in second place in the always competitive Big 12 Conference. The men's tennis team also helped the Aggies lay claim to the State Farm Lone Star Showdown trophy by earning a full point towards the standings with a 4-3 league victory over rival Texas on April 16 in the regular-season finale. A&M also saw the third-and fifth-largest crowds in school history turn out for its NCAA Round of 16 matchup against Ole Miss (1,316) on May 14 and Big 12 battle with Texas Tech (1,089) on April 3.
Senior Conor Pollock (San Antonio, Texas) earned his third career ITA All-America nod in both singles and doubles along with his third all-time All-Big 12 selection in singles and second in doubles. For the third consecutive year, he was the recipient of the team's Aggie Heart Award for his leadership as team captain, work ethic and perseverance on the court. Pollock earned Big 12 Player of the Week honors twice, was the reigning Wilson/ITA South Central Region singles and doubles champion and finished No. 17 nationally in the final ITA singles rankings released on Friday. He and doubles partner Austin Krajicek (Brandon, Fla.) also finished No. 9 nationally in the final ITA doubles rankings with a 30-9 overall record and reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Doubles Championships for the second year in a row. It marked back-to-back seasons in which Pollock ranked in the top 20 in singles and top 10 in doubles making him one of the top Americans in college tennis over the last four years.
Krajicek, who completed a stellar sophomore campaign, compiled a team-leading 18-6 dual record playing primarily at No. 2 singles. He was one of a school-record three Aggies to qualify for the NCAA Singles Championships and was named All-Big 12 in singles and doubles for the second consecutive year. Krajicek was the lone collegian to compete in the 2008 U.S. Open main draw and was the reigning Wilson/ITA South Central Regional doubles champion in the fall. He finished the season at No. 53 nationally in the final ITA singles rankings and garnered Big 12 No. 2 singles co-champion honors along with his second ITA All-America nod in doubles.
Sophomore Wil Spencer (Ponce de Leon, Fla.) also made the final singles list at No. 51 having beaten 10 nationally-ranked players during the fall and regular season combined. He was tabbed Big 12 No. 3 singles champion with a 5-1 mark against league foes and made his first all-time appearance in the NCAA Singles Championships. Spencer was one of four Aggies to turn in a 20-win season with a 24-12 overall record at the No. 3 line. Junior Marcus Lunt (San Antonio, Texas), who returned to college tennis after a two-year absence while serving on a Mormon mission in Utah, went 21-17 overall playing primarily at No. 5 singles.
A&M's success from beginning to end can also be credited to the efforts by sophomore midseason newcomer Patrick Dean (Dallas, Texas) and sophomore transfer Calon Alpar (Austin, Texas). Behind A&M's Big Three of Pollock, Krajicek and Spencer, their contributions helped clinch important victories at the bottom of the lineup for the Aggies during the season and a seven-match win streak in March.
2009 TEXAS A&M MEN'S TENNIS SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
- Ranked as high as No. 11 in the nation on April 21, 2009 and finished No. 14 on May 22, 2009
- Upset two top 10-ranked opponents in No. 7 Illinois on March 15, 2009 and No. 10 and NCAA Champion USC on March 19, 2009
- Finished second in the Big 12 Conference regular-season standings for the first time since 2005
- Seven-match win streak from March 15 through April 3
- Earned the No. 2 seed in the Big 12 Conference Tennis Championships
- Reached the Big 12 Semifinals for the second year in a row
- Made 16th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance since 1994
- Advanced to first Sweet 16 appearance since 2005 and ninth overall in program history
- School-record three NCAA Singles Championships qualifiers and one NCAA Doubles Championships team
2009 TEXAS A&M MEN'S TENNIS HONOR ROLL
ITA All-American Singles - Conor Pollock
ITA All-American Doubles - Conor Pollock and Austin Krajicek
ITA South Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year - Bob McKinley
ITA South Central Region Farnsworth/ITA Senior Player of the Year - Conor Pollock
ITA South Central Region Player to Watch - Austin Krajicek
ITA/John Van Nostrand Memorial Award - Conor Pollock
Co-Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year - Steve Denton
All-Big 12 Conference Singles - Conor Pollock and Austin Krajicek
All-Big 12 Conference Doubles - Conor Pollock and Austin Krajicek
2009 NCAA Singles Championship Qualifiers - Conor Pollock, Wil Spencer
2009 NCAA Doubles Championship Qualifiers - Conor Pollock and Austin Krajicek
Big 12 Conference Player of the Week - Conor Pollock (twice) and Austin Krajicek
Big 12 Conference No. 2 Singles Co-Champion - Austin Krajicek
Big 12 Conference No. 3 Singles Champion - Wil Spencer
Academic All-Big 12 First Team - Conor Pollock
Academic All-Big 12 Second Team - Wil Spencer
Wilson/ITA South Central Region Singles Champion - Conor Pollock
Wilson/ITA South Central Region Doubles Champion - Conor Pollock and Austin Krajicek
Aggie Heart Award - Conor Pollock