DALLAS – For the first time in Conference USA history, two men’s tennis student-athletes share top honors, as Middle Tennessee’s Chris Edge and Old Dominion’s Luca Maldoner were named C-USA Men’s Tennis Co-Players of the Year. The two had stellar 2020 campaigns, headlining the league’s all-conference teams and superlative awards, voted on by the league’s eight head coaches.
 
Edge became the first in Blue Raiders history to be named C-USA Men’s Tennis Player of the Year after posting an 11-4 dual match singles record, earning the most wins among the Blue Raiders. The junior was ranked as high as No. 76 in singles from Nov. 13 to Jan. 20. Even with a shortened season, Edge managed to make the 2019-20 campaign his third straight season with 20 wins. Alongside doubles partner Tom Moonen, Edge posted an 8-4 record in the spring, clinching three doubles points. Their record was the best on the team.
 
Maldoner was ranked for the majority of the spring season in both singles and doubles, clinching him C-USA Men’s Tennis Player of the Year honors. The sophomore was rated as high as No. 93 in singles and finished the season at No. 35 in doubles with partner Nicola Vidal. He posted an overall record of 18-6 for the year, going 8-2 in dual matches. The two-time C-USA Athlete of the Week defeated two opponents ranked in the final ITA rankings of the season, No. 51 Kareem Allaf and No. 124 Ryan Seggerman, as well as two opponents ranked at the time they played, Gianni Ross and Inigo Torre Martin. Maldoner reached the finals of the ITA Atlantic Regionals and was the only singles player in C-USA to qualify for the ITA Fall Nationals.
 
Fellow Monarch Tomislav Podvinski received a share of Newcomer of the Year honors. The junior compiled a 17-4 overall singles record for the year, going 9-1 in dual matches in his first year with Old Dominion. During the spring season, he held an eight-match win streak and clinched four dual matches against SMU, Liberty, Yale and Elon. Podvinski also won the River City Open A Draw alongside his doubles partner, Maldoner.
 
Florida Atlantic’s Maxime Lapraille was also voted Newcomer of the Year, becoming the second Owl in a row to receive the accolade. In his inaugural season with the Owls, the Ophain, Belgium, native posted four wins in the fall, including a victory over the No. 11 player in the nation at the ITA Southeast Regionals. Lapraille entered the spring season ranked No. 58 in singles. He followed up his impressive fall slate with four more wins in the spring, including a clinching victory over his former South Alabama squad.  
 
Earning the first Freshman of the Year nod for UTSA, Sebastian Rodriguez had an impressive first season with the Roadrunners. Rodriguez was ranked second on the team with six singles points, going a perfect 3-0 at the No. 1 spot. In his two doubles pairings, the Trujillo, Peru, native posted a combined 7-3 record. While paired with fellow freshman Joao Alcantra, he went a team-leading 6-3 in doubles. Rodriguez won four straight singles matches in February, going 6-1 for the month with his only loss coming at No. 5 Texas.
 
Coach of the Year Jimmy Borendame rounds out the superlative award winners, earning the award for the second consecutive year. Fresh off leading Middle Tennessee to their first C-USA Championship title in 2019, Borendame continued his winning ways, helping the Blue Raiders to a 13-5 dual match record. The 2020 squad defeated several Power Five opponents during the spring season, including Michigan State, Arkansas, Indiana and then-No. 44 Auburn. Several of his players entered the ITA rankings throughout the year, including senior Max Rauch and doubles duo Stijn Slump and Pavel Motl.
 
Five schools earned spots on the all-conference first team, led by Old Dominion with two singles selections and two doubles pairs. A complete list of honorees can be found below.
 
2020 C-USA Men’s Tennis Superlative Awards
Co-Player of the Year presented by Ready Nutrition – Chris Edge, Middle Tennessee
Co-Player of the Year presented by Ready Nutrition – Luca Maldoner, Old Dominion
Freshman of the Year – Sebastian Rodriguez, UTSA
Co-Newcomer of the Year – Maxime Lapraille, Florida Atlantic
Co-Newcomer of the Year – Tomislav Podvinski, Old Dominion
Coach of the Year – Jimmy Borendame, Middle Tennessee
 
All-Conference USA Singles
First Team
Chris Edge, Middle Tennessee
Tom Moonen, Middle Tennessee
Luca Maldoner, Old Dominion
*Francois Musitelli, Old Dominion
*Sumit Sarkar, Rice
Juri Reckow, UTSA
 
Second Team
Henry Lieberman, Charlotte
Ben Wayand, Charlotte
Maxime Lapraille, Florida Atlantic
Pavel Motl, Middle Tennessee
Tomislav Podvinski, Old Dominion
Sebastian Rodriguez, UTSA
 
All-Conference USA Doubles
First Team
Ben Wayand/Henry Lieberman, Charlotte
Luca Maldoner/Nicola Vidal, Old Dominion
Francois Musitelli/Jannik Giesse, Old Dominion
 
Second Team
Chris Edge/Tom Moonen, Middle Tennessee
Pavel Motl/Stijn Slump, Middle Tennessee
*Sumit Sarkar/Conrad Russell, Rice
 
*Repeat honorees