GLIAC -- The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) announced its 2023 All-GLIAC Men's Tennis Team on Friday following the opening matches of the conference tournament at the Midland Tennis Center in Midland, Mich.
Wayne State's Cedric Drenth was named GLIAC Player of the Year, Ferris State's Erik Kovacs earned GLIAC Freshman of the Year honors and Ferris State's Mark Doren was selected GLIAC Men's Coach of the Year.
2023 GLIAC PLAYER OF THE YEAR Cedric Drenth, Wayne State Playing primarily at the No. 1 singles spot for the first time in his collegiate career, Wayne State University sophomore Cedric Drenth has been selected GLIAC Player of the Year. Drenth, top 50 in every national rankings list this spring, finished with a 15-6 dual match record at the top flight in singles play, with three more wins coming at the No. 2 singles position for an overall 18-8 ledger. He also compiled a perfect 6-0 mark in league play. Drenth defeated four nationally ranked opponents, including a victory over the No. 4-ranked Ruben Fonga of Tiffin University in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6 (3). In doubles, Drenth and partner Daniel Grey were top-five ranked in every edition of the ITA national rankings. They tallied a 19-7 record together, with a 6-0 conference mark. This is the second consecutive GLIAC Player of the Year for WSU (Dom Spicer, 2022) and third in the last four seasons the award was given (Niklas Karcz also won in 2019). |
2023 GLIAC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR Erik Kovacs, Ferris State Ferris State University freshman Erik Kovacs has been a strong addition to the Bulldog lineup this season, helping FSU claim the league's outright conference championship this year. Kovacs currently owns an overall 13-9 singles mark this year while playing at the first or second flight in the FSU lineup. In addition, he presently has recorded a 15-6 doubles record at the number three position in the lineup. He finished with a 4-2 GLIAC regular-season singles record and went a perfect 6-0 in doubles play on the conference level while teamed up with senior Yannic Alexander Mader. |
2023 GLIAC COACH OF THE YEAR Mark Doren, Ferris State Ferris State University tennis head coach Mark Doren led the Bulldogs to the GLIAC's Regular-Season Championship in outright fashion. The Bulldogs, who earned the top seed for the GLIAC Tournament, compiled a 14-3 overall regular-season record, including a perfect 6-0 GLIAC slate. The regular-season crown was FSU's sixth in the past eight seasons. FSU is also currently ranked second in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Rankings and in position to earn its eighth consecutive national tournament appearance, which would also be the program's 26th all-time berth. Two of FSU's three losses this season to date under Doren's direction are versus teams ranked in the top five nationally and all three have come against teams presently listed among the top 13 in the nation. |
FIRST TEAM ALL-GLIAC
Samuel Dickson, Purdue Northwest
Cedric Drenth, Wayne State
Unai Gonzalez, Grand Valley State
Daniel Grey, Wayne State
Niklas Karcz, Wayne State
Jan Koupil, Ferris State
Erik Kovacs, Ferris State
Benjamin Lortie, Ferris State
Aaron Osmond, Lake Superior State
SECOND TEAM ALL-GLIAC
Sebastian Arce, Grand Valley State
Vitor Jordao, Michigan Tech
Luca Kirchhoff, Purdue Northwest
Lluc Limongi, Lake Superior State
Yannic Mader, Ferris State
Joao Martins, Purdue Northwest
Joel Mast, Davenport
Allesandro Santangelo, Ferris State
Jan Stolin, Davenport
HONORABLE MENTION ALL-GLIAC
Subash Paramasivam, Davenport
Esunge Ndumbe, Ferris State
Nacho Morera Lucas, Grand Valley State
Jordi Fraile Raton, Lake Superior State
Nikolai Prosjanykov, Michigan Tech
Paul Hawes, Purdue Northwest
Ryan Okonski, Wayne State