April 19, 2012

Doyle OVC Coach of the Year, Two Golden Eagles named all-OVC

Kenny Doyle was named the Coach of the Year and both Syrym Abduhkalikov and Alejandro Augusto earned all-conference nods when the Ohio Valley Conference announced tennis awards for the 2012 season Thursday in Nashville.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee Tech's Kenny Doyle was named the Ohio Valley Conference Men's Tennis Coach of the Year, while junior Syrym Abduhkalikov and freshman Alejandro Augusto received all-OVC honors as voted on by the league's head coaches. Augusto also shared the league's Freshman of the Year honor.

The awards were announced Thursday night during an Awards Dinner on the eve of the conference tournament.

Austin Peay’s Sean Bailey was selected as the Men’s Player of the Year while UT Martin’s Jodie Tiely was tabbed the OVC Women’s Player of the Year. Augusto shared the Freshman award with SIUE’s Marten Jonsson, while Eastern Kentucky’s Amandine Faouzi won the women’s Freshman of the Year award. Eastern Kentucky’s Rob Oertel was named the women’s Coach of the Year.

Abduhkalikov, a junior from Almaty, Kazakhstan, is a first-team all-OVC selection after going 5-2 in OVC play at No. 1 singles. He is 14-11 overall this year in singles including a 9-7 record in singles play.

A native of Madrid, Spain, Augusto is a second-team all-OVC pick. He posted a perfect 8-0 league mark in singles, including a 7-0 record at the No. 3 spot. Augusto becomes the fourth Golden Eagle to win the Freshman of the Year award.

Doyle earns his first OVC Coach of the Year honor, marking the eighth time a Tennessee Tech coach has won the award. The Golden Eagles won their third regular-season title and first since 2008 after going 8-0 in OVC play and 10-7 overall. Tech enters the tournament having won its last nine matches.

The OVC Tournament begins Friday morning at Centennial Sportsplex in Nashville. As the No. 1 seed, the Golden Eagles have a bye in the first round, and will play a semifinal match Saturday at 10 a.m. against either Jacksonville State or Morehead State.

2012 All-Ohio Valley Conference Men’s Tennis Teams
(voted on by the league’s head tennis coaches)

FIRST TEAM
Sean Bailey, Austin Peay
Hugo Klientovsky, Eastern Kentucky
Igor Santos, Jacksonville State
Jasmin Ademovic, Austin Peay
Syrym Abduklhalikov, Tennessee Tech
Arthur Valle, Murray State

SECOND TEAM
Alejandro Augusto, Tennessee Tech
Alekas Tverijonas, Austin Peay
Nik Schroeder, Eastern Kentucky
Marten Jonsson, SIUE
Lawrence Washington, Tennessee State
Dimitar Ristovski, Austin Peay
Parul Verma, Eastern Kentucky
Nedad Marcec, Jacksonville State

(Eight players appear on the second team due to a tie)

OVC PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Sean Bailey, Austin Peay
OVC CO-FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR: Marten Jonsson, SIUE;
Alejandro Augusto, Tennessee Tech
OVC COACH OF THE YEAR: Kenny Doyle, Tennessee Tech