SPARTANBURG, S.C. – ETSU sophomore David Biosca has been named the Southern Conference Men’s Tennis Player of the Year as the league announced its postseason awards Wednesday (April 22). Mercer’s Sam Philp was named the conference’s Freshman of the Year while, Chattanooga’s Luke Saunders earned the league’s Don Bunch/Buddy Hartsell Sportsmanship Award. ETSU’s Yaser Zaatini was named Coach of the Year. Postseason balloting was conducted by the league’s head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own student-athletes.

Biosca becomes the fifth different Buc to be named Player of the Year, joining his current head coach Zaatini, Antonio Robles, Gustavo Gomez and Oscar Posada. Originally from Sant Fruitos de Bage, Spain, Biosca posted a 13-5 record at No. 1 singles this spring, including a 6-0 mark in league play. Ten of his singles wins came in straight sets. Biosca teamed with Rogerio Ribeiro at No. 1 doubles, and ETSU’s top pair went 9-4 at the top doubles spot and posted a 5-1 mark in SoCon matches.

Zaatini is the only person in league history to be named the conference’s Player of the Year and Coach of the Year in his career. Zaatini was named the league’s top player three times (1991, 1992 and 1993) and was voted the top coach by his peers in 2004 and 2005. This season, he guided ETSU to a 14-7 (7-0 SoCon) record and the league’s regular-season championship.

Philp helped the Bears finish 12-12 (5-2 SoCon) in their first season as a league member. He went 13-9 in singles play this season and posted a 5-2 mark in conference matches, playing at No. 2 and No. 3 for the Bears. He teamed up with Anderson Scarpa at No. 3 doubles and posted a mark of 10-6 in doubles play this spring. The duo went 5-2 in league matches as a tandem.

Saunders is the third different Moc to win the Don Bunch/Buddy Hartsell Sportsmanship Award, joining Jordan Goetzman (2000) and Jason Onton (2002 and 2003). A junior, Saunders competed in the middle of the UTC singles lineup this spring and spent most of the year paired with Nick Wingord. The duo went 9-7 this spring.

ETSU and Wofford each placed two individuals on the all-conference first team. In addition to Biosca, ETSU was represented by Ribeiro, while Wofford’s Rob Galloway and Haris Poric were also named to the first team. Furman’s Jacob Behal and UNCG’s Randy Phillips also garnered first-team plaudits.

Biosca and Ribeiro were selected as a first-team all-conference doubles team. Wofford’s Galloway and Walker Heffron were also tabbed first team, where they were joined by Furman’s Cameron Green and Adam Steryous.

Second-team all-conference selections are made based on position. Furman and Mercer each placed two individuals on the second team, as Steryous (No. 1) and Ben Horst (No. 4) were all named second-team all-conference for the Paladins, while Philp (No. 3) and Arsav Mohanty (No. 5) were tabbed for the Bears. Samford’s Austin Akers was chosen at No. 2 singles, while ETSU’s Ismael Merino was named second-team all-conference at the No. 6 spot.

UNCG placed two teams on the second-team doubles list. Connor Thompson and Phillips were selected at the No. 1 position, while Daniel Mack and Cameron Smith were picked at No. 3. ETSU’s Robert Herrera and Merino were chosen second-team all-conference at No. 2.

Philp secured a spot on the all-freshman team, where he was joined by The Citadel’s Artemie Amare, ETSU’s Herrera, Furman’s Green, UNCG’s Thompson and Wofford’s Parks Schoen.

The 2015 Southern Conference Men’s Tennis Championships begins Friday (April 24) in Spartanburg, S.C., and will continue in Greenville, S.C., on Saturday and Sunday.

2015 SoCon Men’s Tennis Postseason Awards
First Team
Singles
David Biosca, ETSU
Rogerio Ribeiro, ETSU
Jacob Behal, Furman
Randy Phillips, UNCG
Rob Galloway, Wofford
Haris Poric, Wofford

Doubles
David Biosca/Rogerio Ribeiro, ETSU
Cameron Green/Adam Steryous, Furman
Rob Galloway/Walker Heffron, Wofford

Second Team
Singles (by position)
No. 1 – Adam Steryous, Furman
No. 2 – Austin Akers, Samford
No. 3 – Sam Philp, Mercer
No. 4 – Ben Horst, Furman
No. 5 – Arsav Mohanty, Mercer
No. 6 – Ismael Merino, ETSU

Doubles (by position)
No. 1 – Connor Thompson/Randy Phillips, UNCG
No. 2 – Robert Herrera/Ismael Merino, ETSU
No. 3 – Daniel Mack/Cameron Smith, UNCG