May 12, 2015
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Three Vanderbilt Commodores earned ITA regional honors as was announced by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) organizations Executive Director Tuesday afternoon. Head coach Ian Duvenhage, Gonzales Austin, and Daniel Valent of the 24th-ranked Vanderbilt men’s tennis team all received regional awards.
Duvenhage has been honored as the Ohio Valley Coach of the Year, Austin the Ohio Valley Senior Player of the Year and Valent named the Ohio Valley Player to Watch. This is the second year in a row that the `Dores have brought in three regional awards. All of the regional winners are automatically nominated for the ITA Division I National Awards which will be announced later this month.
In his 10th season the black and gold Duvenhage has been named the Ohio Valley Coach of the Year for the first time. This season Duvenhage produced his best SEC record yet, compiling an 8-4 SEC slate. During their 2014-15 campaign the Commodores lost just won match at home in fourteen competitions, and compiled a seven total sweeps. Duvenhage led the Commodore squad to their highest ranking of the year at No. 11, and a momentous 4-3 upset over SEC foe Florida.
After a tremendous season Gonzales Austin earns another first for VU as he has is the 2015 Ohio Valley Senior Player of the Year. The Miami native was the highest ranked player in the SEC throughout the entire season, continuously ranked in the top 10. Austin sits comfortably in the Vanderbilt record books three times; breaking the career win record in singles action, as well as the career and single season win record in doubles along side Ryan Lipman.
For his hard work and dedication to his craft, the four-time ITA All American was voted the 2015 SEC Player of the Year, USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Sportsmanship Award recipient and 2014 Ohio Valley Player to Watch.
Daniel Valent is the third Commodore to ever earn the Ohio Valley Player to Watch award, with Austin winning it most recently. The Player to Watch award goes to a student-athlete who is thought to be a contender to win one of the many ITA or NCAA tournaments.
The Zurich, Switzerland native worked tirelessly in his debut season with the `Dores, recording a 12-match win streak from Nov. 7th — Feb. 20th and amassing an undefeated 5-0 record against ranked opponents. One of Valent’s major wins of the season came in Athens, as he ended Bulldog Nathan Pasha’s 10-match win streak; 4-6, 6-0, 6-1.
Vanderbilt looks ahead to the 2015 NCAA singles and doubles tournament as Austin and doubles partner Rhys Johnson travel to Waco, Texas as a top-eight seed, garnering the pair automatic All-American status. Austin will also be competing in singles play as an automatic All-American as a 9-16 seed. Tournament play begins March 20th at Baylor’s Hurd Tennis Center.
