FRISCO, Texas –
Marcel Volz was named the Southland Conference Men's Tennis Player of the Year and
Burzis Kanga earned his second straight Coach of the Year honor as part of the All-Southland awards that were announced on Thursday.
Volz earned Player of the Year honors after going 12-6 overall at flight one through a difficult schedule that featured three nationally ranked opponents. Volz also had conference wins against Nicholls and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. He made an instant impact after being named 2021 Southland and LSWA Newcomer of the Year.
Coach Kanga also received recognition after being men's Coach of the Year. He was named Southland women's Coach of the Year in 2021. Kanga received recognition after leading the Privateers to a 14-6 record and a share of the Southland regular season title.
Espen Lagarde won First Team honors at flight four singles and
Max Heinzel earned Second Team recognition at flight two singles. Heinzel and
Akos Kotorman also won Second Team awards for flight one doubles.
Lagarde posted a 2-1 record in conference and had nine wins overall including a straight set win over Campbell Salmon of then nationally ranked Rice. Lagarde also earned singles wins against Nicholls and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Heinzel started the year 10-2 in singles and earned conference wins against Nicholls and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. In doubles, Heinzel and Kotorman went 6-5 for the season, all at flight one and had a doubles victory in conference against Nicholls.
FROM COACH KANGA
"Marcel is the epitome of an extremely talented and gifted player. Nothing surprises me with what he does because he has a strong presence on the court. He is the ultimate team player and his potential is unlimited. From being Newcomer of the Year to being Player of the Year, he is someone who adds a lot to the success of this program."
"I'm humbled and flattered to be named Coach of the Year. I am grateful for the opportunity I've been given as a coach to make a difference in the lives of these young student-athletes who represent our university."
"Espen, Akos and Max are also a group of outstanding young men who very well deserve these accolades. They represent this university and program so well. These guys have made a difference in the success of our program. I applaud and congratulate these guys for earning all-conference recognition."
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