May 3, 2012

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - - Head Coach Paul Goebel and six men's tennis players received All-Conference honors as announced by the Conference USA office in Irving, Texas.

Goebel was named the Conference USA Coach of the Year after he led the Tigers to a 19-5 (5-1 C-USA) regular-season record and a second place finish in both the conference regular-season standings and the 2012 C-USA Men's Tennis Championships. For the first time in the 63-year history of the program, Memphis earned a bid into the NCAA Championships.

Connor Glennon was named the Co-Freshman of the Year with SMU's Arturs Kazijevs. Glennon who played at No. 4 singles and No. 2 doubles most of the season, posted a 17-5 record in singles and 13-5 mark in doubles. Glennon spent three weeks in the ITA singles poll, reaching a career-high No. 91, and, he finished the season ranked No. 88 in doubles with partner David Henry.

Glennon was one of three Tigers named to the All-Conference USA Singles First Team, being joined by Johnny Grimal and David O'Leary. Grimal, who finished the season playing No. 2 singles, ended the regular season with a 16-5 record. The native of Barcelona, Spain notched two seven-match winning streaks. O'Leary earned first team accolades after starting his freshman campaign winning 21-consecutive matches before falling in the finals of the C-USA Championship. The winning streak by O'Leary is the longest such streak by a Tiger in at least the last 17 seasons.

Memphis claimed two of the three spots on the All-Conference USA Doubles First Team. By virtue of their end of the season ranking, Glennon and Henry earned an automatic spot on the team. The Tigers' No. 1 tandem of David O'Hare and Joe Salisbury joined Glennon and Henry on the first team. O'Hare and Salisbury finished 14-7 on the year and reached a season-high ranking of No. 47.

Entering the 2012 season, only two Tigers had ever earned first team all-conference honors in singles and only one duo notched all-conference accolades in doubles. With six players earning all-conference honors this season, the Tigers doubled the amount of awards won in the next most-decorated season, 2003.

Memphis will prepare for its first-round match in the NCAA Championships against Baylor, scheduled for Friday, May 11 at 11:00 a.m. (CT).

All-Conference USA Singles First Team
(four-way tie for the final spot on the first team resulting in a nine member first team instead of six)
Connor Glennon, Memphis
Johnny Grimal, Memphis
David O'Leary, Memphis
Sam Garforth-Bles, Rice
Idan Mark, Tulane
Japie De Klerk, Tulsa
Grant Ive, Tulsa
Clifford Marsland, Tulsa
Ashley Watling, Tulsa

All-Conference USA Singles Second Team
Joran Vliegen, East Carolina
Gaston Cuadranti, SMU
Arturs Kazijevs, SMU
Danny Manlow, UAB
Jorge Blasco, UCF

All-Conference USA Doubles First Team
Connor Glennon / David Henry, Memphis
David O'Hare / Joe Salisbury, Memphis
Clifford Marsland/Ashley Watling, Tulsa

All-Conference USA Doubles Second Team
Christian Saravia/Justin To, Rice
Arturs Kazijevs/Tobias Flood, SMU
Idan Mark/Joe Young, Tulane

Specialty Awards
Coach of the Year: Paul Goebel, Memphis
Player of the Year: Ashley Watling, Tulsa
Co-Freshmen of the Year: Connor Glennon, Memphis and Arturs Kazijevs, SMU
Outstanding Singles Player of the Championship: Grant Ive, Tulsa
Outstanding Doubles Team of the Championship: Japie De Klerk/Alejandro Espejo, Tulsa