Senior rakes in award for second straight year

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Senior Matthew Langley has been named to the Capital One Academic All-District Team, as announced on Friday by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). It marks the second year in a row Langley has earned the honor.

Last year, Langley earned Capital One Academic All-America Third Team accolades, in addition to being named an ITA Scholar-Athlete. He has maintained a 4.0 GPA as an exercise science major over the past two years and was named one of Middle Tennessee’s International Student-Athletes of the Year earlier this spring.

Not only has Langley been outstanding in the classroom, but his athletic prowess has led the Blue Raiders to three Sun Belt Championship titles in the past four years, including the past two seasons. The West Beach, Australia, native earned Most Outstanding Player honors at each of the past two conference tournaments. During his senior campaign, Langley played in the No. 2 singles position and finished with a 24-14 overall and 17-9 dual mark.

Langley becomes the first Blue Raider to earn multiple all-district honors. He is one of 10 student-athletes from District 3 now eligible for Academic All-American status.

2012 Capital One All-District 3 Team
Sean Bailey, Austin Peay
Matt Snyder, Virginia
Matthew Langley, Middle Tennessee
Ryan Helms, Tennessee
Geoff Peitz, Davidson
CJ Costabile, Duke
Anthony Lin, Duke
Alejandro Espitia, NC Central
Devin Carter, Virginia Tech
Jon Fausey, Virginia
Ryan Hawkins, Virginia Tech

MT finishes season 19-8

OXFORD, Miss. - The No. 46 Blue Raider men’s tennis team ended its season with a 4-0 defeat at the hands of the No. 21 Michigan Wolverines on Saturday morning in the opening round of the 2012 NCAA Men’s Tennis Championship at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center on the campus of Ole Miss. Middle Tennessee finishes the 2012 campaign with a 19-8 record.

“I’m extremely proud of my team and the season we put together,” head coach Jimmy Borendame said. “We fought hard today and if it played out, we had a chance to put some points on the board in the end. But we’ll take this experience, especially with five freshmen on the team, and build on it for next season. With such a strong contingent coming back, we’ll be even better next year.”

Michigan claimed the doubles point with wins in the No. 1 and No. 3 positions. Ben Davis and Christoph Lang were leading 6-5 on court two before play was halted after the clinching point.

The Wolverines took a 2-0 lead in the match after claiming the victory in the No. 5 singles position, with Barrett Franks defeating Dimitri Pippos, 6-1, 6-1.

MT continued to battle, forcing a third set in three matches before Michigan claimed the final two points. Christoph Lang won the first set, 6-3, before dropping the second, 2-6, in the third spot. Ettore Zito also dominated in his first set, 6-1, but fell in the second, 5-7. Forrest Edwards bounced back from a 3-6 loss in the first set to take the second, 6-4. All three matches were unfinished, though, as the Wolverines took two more points before any three-setters concluded.

Matthew Langley, the Blue Raiders’ lone senior, dropped a 6-2, 6-3 decision in the two-hole before Ben Davis’ 6-2, 6-3 defeat to No. 6 Evan King proved to be the clinching point.

“I’m really proud of Matthew Langley and all he accomplished during his time here,” Borendame said. “To leave with three Sun Belt championship rings in four years is quite a feat.”

NCAA REGIONAL – OXFORD, MISS. (PALMER/SALLOUM TENNIS CENTER)
#21 Michigan 4, #46 Middle Tennessee 0
Singles competition
1. #6 Evan King (UM) def. Ben Davis (MT) 6-2, 6-3
2. Alex Petrone (UM) def. Matt Langley (MT) 6-2, 6-3
3. Christoph Lang (MT) vs. Shaun Bernstein (UM) 6-3, 2-6, 1-2, unfinished
4. Ettore Zito (MT) vs. Michael Zhu (UM) 6-1, 5-7, unfinished
5. Barrett Franks (UM) def. Dimitri Pippos (MT) 6-1, 6-1
6. Forrest Edwards (MT) def. Alex Buzzi (UM) 3-6, 6-4, 1-0, unfinished

Doubles competition
1. #29 Evan King/Shaun Bernstein (UM) def. Yannick Born/Marlon Brand (MT) 8-2
2. Ben Davis/Christoph Lang (MT) def. Barrett Franks/Alex Buzzi (UM) 6-5, unfinished
3. Alex Petrone/Michael Zhu (UM) def. Ettore Zito/Matt Langley (MT) 8-4

Match Notes
Middle Tennessee 19-8; National ranking #46
Michigan 18-7; National ranking #21
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (5,2,1)

Teams will square off at Ole Miss May 11-13

2012 NCAA Championship Bracket

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The No. 46 Middle Tennessee men’s tennis team will face No. 22 Michigan in opening round of the 2012 NCAA Men’s Tennis Championships as the field of 64 was announced on Tuesday. The Blue Raiders and Wolverines will square off on Saturday, May 12 at 9 a.m. CT at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center on the campus at Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss.

“We’ve been talking about how we want to win the first round, so we’re looking at this as a great match and chance to make some noise at the national level,” head coach Jimmy Borendame said. “Michigan is a tough opponent, but we're aiming to become a top 30 program and this is a step toward reaching that goal."

In addition to the Blue Raiders and Wolverines, the 13th-seeded Rebels and Binghamton Bearcats round out the pod. The winners will meet in the second round on Sunday, May 13 at 1 p.m., which will also be played in Oxford.

MT and Michigan have met twice previously, with both contests as part of the O’Charley’s Invitational in Knoxville, Tenn. The Wolverines earned a 6-1 win in the spring of 1995, while the Blue Raiders claimed a 5-2 victory over Michigan, ranked No. 39 at the time, in 1997.

MT earned its 11th NCAA Championship berth and third in the past four years after winning the Sun Belt Championship title for the second consecutive year. With a 19-7 overall record, MT has amassed the most wins since 1997 when the Blue Raiders finished 24-5.

MT has only dropped two matches since March 6, a 16-match stretch, with both of those losses coming to nationally ranked opponents. The Blue Raiders have defeated seven nationally ranked teams this season and have won 11 of their last 12 matches, losing only one point in the last three matches.

Ben Davis has been impressive throughout his sophomore campaign, leading the Blue Raiders in the top slot. A two-time Sun Belt all-conference honoree, Davis has reeled off 11 consecutive singles victories for a 25-8 overall and 17-4 dual record. Senior Matthew Langley has delivered a solid season as well, posting a 24-13 overall and 17-8 dual record, in addition to earning his second straight Most Outstanding Player honor at this year’s Sun Belt tournament.

“It will be a big matchup between Ben and Evan King (in the top spot),” Borendame said. “It will really come down to two through six because the first one will be a flip.”

Newcomers Christoph Lang and Ettore Zito have been key in the middle of the lineup, primarily playing at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. Lang is 17-9 overall and 15-8 in dual action, while Zito has a 24-11 and 13-7 dual record.

In doubles action, Marlon Brand and Yannick Born have primarily held the top spot, combining for a 12-10 record. The all-conference duo of Davis and Lang hold a 15-10 overall and 13-9 dual record. Langley and Zito round out the doubles teams with a 16-13 overall and 12-8 dual mark.

Michigan enters the tournament with a 16-6 record. The Wolverines are led by Evan King, ranked No. 7 nationally. King has won 15 consecutive matches and holds a 32-6 overall record, including a 20-2 dual mark. King and partner Shaun Bernstein rank 29th in doubles with a 21-12 overall and 13-9 dual mark.

Courtesy of Athletic Communications, GoBlueRaiders.com

Blue Raiders ranked No. 46 in latest ITA poll

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - The Blue Raider men’s tennis team cracked the top 50 nationally according to the most recent Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings. Middle Tennessee jumped up to No. 46 after knocking off No. 57 South Alabama in the Sun Belt Championship on Sunday.

The Blue Raiders have won 11 of their last 12 matches, including three straight at the conference tournament last week. MT dominated the first two rounds, with 4-0 victories over WKU and Louisiana before earning the 4-1 win over the Jaguars en route to their 11th NCAA tournament berth.

MT has only dropped two matches since March 6, a 16-match stretch, with both of those losses coming to nationally ranked opponents. The Blue Raiders have defeated seven nationally ranked teams this season.

The ranking is the highest since 2006 when MT finished the season ranked 33rd in the nation.

Courtesy of Athletic Communications, GoBlueRaiders.com

Blue Raider coach earns back-to-back honors

NEW ORLEANS - Middle Tennessee men’s tennis head coach Jimmy Borendame has been named the 2012 Sun Belt Coach of the Year, as announced on Monday by the conference office. Borendame received the league’s top coaching honor for the second consecutive year after leading the Blue Raiders to their second straight Sun Belt Championship title.

"This award is truly a reflection of the entire Blue Raider program," Borendame said. "Obviously, the student-athletes have a huge share in this honor because it is a result of their success. Our assistant coach, Tanner Stump, and strength coach, Mike Wilson, have done a tremendous job, along with all of our support staff, especially Linda Williams. I'm also thankful to have wonderful support from our administration."

In just his second season at the helm of the Blue Raiders, Borendame has led the squad to back-to-back conference titles and a current national ranking of No. 53. On Sunday, the Blue Raiders defended last season’s league title with a 4-1 win over No. 57 South Alabama to capture the 2012 Sun Belt Men’s Tennis Championship. With the victory, MT earned its 11th NCAA Championship berth and third in the last four years.

Under Borendame’s direction, sophomore Ben Davis earned his second all-conference singles honor this year and also raked in doubles recognition with partner Christoph Lang. In addition, senior Matthew Langley was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player for the second year in a row.

Borendame has coached the Blue Raiders to a 19-7 record so far this season, marking the most wins since 1997 when MT finished 24-5. He now has a combined record of 32-20 in his two seasons at MT.

A native of Wheaton, Ill., Borendame is the first Sun Belt coach to win back-to-back accolades since Danny Westerman at Denver did so in 2007 and 2008. He also is the second Blue Raider coach in program history to earn consecutive conference awards, joining former coach Dale Short. Short won seven consecutive Ohio Valley Coach of the Year honors spanning from 1991-97.

Borendame and the Blue Raiders now await the announcement of the 2012 NCAA Championship field, which will be revealed on May 1 at 4:30 p.m. via NCAA.com. The NCAA Regionals are scheduled for May 11-13 at campus sites, while the championship will take place May 18-28 at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga.

Courtesy of Athletic Communications, GoBlueRaiders.com

Blue Raiders win back-to-back titles

Photo Gallery

DENTON, Texas - The No. 53 Blue Raider men's tennis team earned its second straight Sun Belt Championship title with a 4-1 win over No. 57 South Alabama on Sunday afternoon. Matthew Langley was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player for the second year in a row.

Courtesy of Athletic Communications, GoBlueRaiders.com

MT reaches semifinals as No. 3 seed

DENTON, Texas – The best season as a member of the Sun Belt Conference came to an end for the Middle Tennessee women’s tennis team Saturday, as the Blue Raiders fell in the league tournament semifinals to FIU, 4-2, at the Waranch Tennis Complex in Denton, Texas.

Middle Tennessee (15-7) secured two singles victories and one doubles win in the contest, pitting it as the No. 3 seed against the No. 2 seeded Panthers.

All three doubles matches ended with identical 8-4 scores; however, the Blue Raiders were only able to pull out one triumph among the trio. MT’s No. 2 tandem of senior Marietta Bigus and junior Yuiri Nomoto knocked off Gulietta Boha and Karyn Guttormsen to open the day. However, FIU (7-14) rallied to win the next two and clinch the first point.

Middle Tennessee then knotted the score at 1-1 behind a No. 4 singles triumph from freshman Nayara Moraes, who tallied a 6-2, 6-4 decision over Guttormsen. Again, the Panthers would come back by claiming two-straight victories to inch ahead, 3-1.

Junior Lexi Brand kept the Blue Raiders alive with her win in the No. 2 meeting with Sarah McLean, handing her opponent a 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 setback. FIU would seal the win by clinching the next match in three sets, leaving a No. 1 singles battle tied in the final set when the match was called.

Saturday’s contest marked the end of the collegiate careers for Middle Tennessee seniors Bigus, Taylor Coffey and Alex Dachos and the conclusion of the first campaign under the direction of head coach Shelley Godwin.

FIU 4, Middle Tennessee 2

Singles
No. 1 Yuiri Nomoto (MT) vs. Rita Maisak (FIU) 5-7, 6-4, 4-4 DNF
No. 2 Lexi Brand (MT) def. Sarah McLean (FIU) 3-6, 6-0, 6-2
No. 3 Lisa Johnson (FIU) def. Flavia Nagayama (MT) 6-4, 6-2
No. 4 Nayara Moraes (MT) def. Karyn Guttormsen (FIU) 6-2, 6-4
No. 5 Christine Seredni (FIU) def. Marietta Bigus (MT) 6-0, 6-1
No. 6 Gulietta Boha (FIU) def. Taylor Coffey (MT) 6-7, 6-3, 6-3

Doubles
No. 1 Maisak/McLean (FIU) def. Brand/Moraes (MT) 8-4
No. 2 Bigus/Nomoto (MT) def. Boha/Guttormsen (FIU) 8-4
No. 3 Johnson/Seredni (FIU) def. Alex Dachos/Nagayama (MT) 8-4

Courtesy of Athletic Communications, GoBlueRaiders.com

Championship match also pushed back

DENTON, Texas – Due to weather delays earlier in the day, the men’s semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tennis Championship were rescheduled for Saturday, April 21 at 2 p.m. CT at the Waranch Tennis Complex on the University of North Texas campus. The men’s championship match has been rescheduled to Sunday, April 22 at 10 a.m. CT.

The men’s semifinal matches were postponed until Saturday to ensure both matches began at the same time and provided adequate rest time for those teams advancing to the championship match.

The revised schedule for the men’s tournament is as follows:

Saturday, April 21
Men’s Match 4 – 2 p.m. CT
No. 2 seed Middle Tennessee vs. No. 3 seed Louisiana-Lafayette

Men’s Match 5 – 2 p.m. CT
No. 1 seed Denver vs. No. 4 seed South Alabama

Sunday, April 22
Men’s Match 6 – Championship Match – 10 a.m. CT
Men’s Match 4 Winner vs. Men’s Match 5 Winner

To follow the 2012 Sun Belt Conference Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships, visit the Championship Central page or follow along on Twitter (@The_Sun_Belt) and Facebook (facebook.com/theSunBeltConference).

Radio Tennis will be broadcasting the matches throughout the championships free online at radiotennis.com.

Courtesy of Athletic Communications, GoBlueRaiders.com

Blue Raider Director of Athletics Chris Massaro has announced the official start of a campaign to provide an indoor tennis facility for MTSU to be built in the Murfreesboro area.

The project is already under way, thanks to a jump-start from the family of the late Carolyn Boatwright Reeves (MTSU ’63, ’72, ’91), an alumna and avid tennis player. The family asked that friends and loved ones honor her by making donations toward building the MTSU Indoor Tennis Center, and, knowing how much she loved tennis and the University, Reeves’s friends did as her family requested.

Her children, Shane (B.S. ’91) and Marsha, have already made a donation to the fund, and the family also has committed to another gift that will be made at a later date.

“Rutherford County has needed a first-class indoor tennis facility for a long time,” said Shane Reeves. “My sister, Marsha, and I both know that Mom would be thrilled that she is playing a big part in getting this project started.”

The Blue Raider Athletic Association currently is executing a fundraising plan to build a six-court facility for the Middle Tennessee men’s and women’s tennis teams and for public use, too. Discussions have been ongoing with the City of Murfreesboro concerning land as well as the possibility of creating an on-campus venue.

“The city of Auburn, Ala., and Auburn University have such a partnership, and it is a win-win situation for everyone,” Massaro said. “Our teams presently practice and play indoor tennis in Davidson County, so this facility will provide a tremendous local venue.”

An architect's rendering of an idea for the planned Middle Tennessee State Tennis Complex is shown in exterior detail, above, and interior detail, below.

Blue Raider men’s tennis coach Jimmy Borendame and women’s tennis coach Shelley Godwin agreed that a new tennis center would make a big difference in their programs.

“I’ve been dreaming about what it would be like to have indoor tennis courts locally, and the impact it would have on our tennis program at Middle Tennessee and in Murfreesboro would be enormous,” said Borendame.
“As far as recruiting is concerned, it would put us in the ball game for every top-tier recruit. We’d no longer have to answer questions about where we play indoor tennis or what do we do when it rains. That will make a huge difference.”

The proposed facility, which Middle Tennessee would build, would be nearly 47,000 square feet and include six courts, locker rooms for men and women, a lobby, a viewing area for spectators, a laundry room and an electronic scoreboard. There are numerous naming opportunities available, such as the courts, locker room, grandstand, lobby, plaza and even the facility itself.

Such a facility would allow Murfreesboro and Rutherford County to host Intercollegiate Tennis Association and TSSAA tournaments as well as other events that would provide new tax revenue to the city and county.

Associate Athletic Director Alan Farley, who grew up with Shane Reeves, knew Carolyn Reeves for years and called her a “special person who loved her family and tennis.”

“She would be proud to know that so many people gave money in her name to promote the sport of tennis. She has kick-started this project because her family and friends have stepped forward to make substantial gifts to the campaign,” Farley said. “We currently have $600,000 on hand, plus some pledges that will be paid out over the next few years. Our goal is to raise as much money as we can up front, then secure pledge commitments for the rest.”

Anyone wishing to contribute to the Middle Tennessee Indoor Tennis Fund or learn more about it may contact Farley at 615-898-2210.

– MT Athletic Communications (goblueraiders.com)

Blue Raiders win at No. 1 doubles against No. 67 Mean Green

TROY, Ala. – The Middle Tennessee women’s tennis team dropped a 7-0 decision in neutral-site action to No. 67 North Texas Saturday afternoon in its final regular-season match of the campaign. The Blue Raiders managed just one match win, at No. 1 doubles, against the nationally-ranked Mean Green.

The pairing of junior Lexi Brand and freshman Nayara Moraes provided Middle Tennessee (14-6) its lone victory at the top doubles spot, knocking off Nadia Lee and Barbora Vykydalova 8-3.

Brand, along with junior Yuiri Nomoto and senior Marietta Bigus, were able to force three sets during their respective singles matches.

Brand fell to Lee at the No. 2 spot 6-0, 1-6, 6-3, while Bigus dropped a 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 decision to Vykydalova during the No. 5 meeting.

With North Texas (14-6) already claiming the overall victory, Nomoto and Kseniya Bardabush played a super-tiebreaker in the third set of their No. 1 match before the NT top player prevailed 6-1, 5-7, 10-8.

The Blue Raiders will return to action later in the week at the Sun Belt Championships, to be held on the North Texas campus in Denton, Texas. Middle Tennessee will learn of its seeding and opponent once all Sun Belt regular-season action concludes Sunday. If MT earns a top-four seed, it will receive a bye and begin play Friday; however, it will otherwise start tournament action Thursday.

No. 67 North Texas 7, Middle Tennessee 0

Singles
No. 1 Kseniya Bardabush (NT) def. Yuiri Nomoto (MT) 6-1, 5-7, 10-8
No. 2 Nadia Lee (NT) def. Lexi Brand (MT) 6-0, 1-6, 6-3
No. 3 Valentina Starkova (NT) def. Flavia Nagayama (MT) 6-4, 6-4
No. 4 Ilona Serchenko (NT) def. Nayara Moraes (MT) 6-2, 6-0
No. 5 Barbora Vykydalova (NT) def. Marietta Bigus (MT) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
No. 6 Paula Dinuta (NT) def. Taylor Coffey (MT) 6-0, 6-2

Doubles
No. 1 Brand/Moraes (MT) def. Lee/Vykydalova (NT) 8-3
No. 2 Bardabush/Starkova (NT) def. Bigus/Nomoto (MT) 8-2
No. 3 Dinuta/Irina Paraschiv (NT) def. Alex Dachos/Nagayama (MT) 8-4

Courtesy of Athletic Communications, GoBlueRaiders.com