SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Samford’s Sandeep Mohandoss has been named the Southern Conference men’s tennis player of the week for all matches played from April 4-10, the conference announced on Tuesday. The award is selected by the league office.
 
Mohandoss, a sophomore from Chennai, India, went 2-0 at No. 3 singles and 2-0 at No. 1 doubles as the Bulldogs fell to crosstown rival UAB and topped SoCon-leading Chattanooga to climb to the top of the league standings.
 
In Wednesday’s 5-2 loss to the Blazers, Mohandoss teamed with Maxwell Giddens for a 6-3 win over Michal Lusovsky and Noah Malige at the top doubles flight. In singles action, Mohandoss picked up a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in over Vojtech Podzemny.
 
On Saturday, Mohandoss and Maxwell handed the Mocs’ top doubles duo, Simon Labbe and Peyton Gatti, a 6-4 loss to help the Bulldogs claim the doubles point. Mohandoss then downed Gabriel Castillo in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, as Samford earned a 6-1 win to hand Chattanooga its first league loss and pull the Bulldogs into a tie atop the SoCon standings.
 
The weekly award is the second of Mohandoss’s career. He also claimed the honor on Feb. 7.
 
Samford (10-9, 5-1 SoCon) closes its regular season at Mercer (9-11, 3-1) on Saturday at noon Eastern. With a win, the Bulldogs would clinch at least a share of the regular-season SoCon title and the top seed in the upcoming SoCon Men’s Tennis Championship, which will take place at the Champions Club in Chattanooga, Tennessee, from April 20-22.
 
Also nominated: Dimitri Badra (ETSU), Jerry Barton (Furman) and Samuel MacLeod (Mercer).
 
SoCon Men’s Tennis Players of the Week
Jan. 17          Thiago Pernas, ETSU
Jan. 24          David Flisberg, UNCG
Jan. 31          Mohammed Ali Bellalouna, Samford
Feb. 7            Sandeep Mohandoss, Samford
Feb. 14          Maxwell Giddens, Samford
Feb. 21          Ryan Mudre, Chattanooga
Feb. 28          Dimitri Badra, ETSU
March 7         Dimitri Badra, ETSU
March 14       Alex Horn, Wofford
March 21       Sebastian Kamieniecki, The Citadel
March 28       Kerim Hyatt, Chattanooga
April 4            Simon Labbe, Chattanooga
April 11          Sandeep Mohandoss, Samford