NORFOLK, Va. – Younes Lalami, Luca Maldoner, Tomislav Podvinski and Nicola Vidal of the Old Dominion men's tennis team earned All-Conference USA honors on Tuesday afternoon, as voted on by the league's head coaches. Lalami was named the Freshman of the Year, while Lalami was joined by teammates Maldoner and Podvinski on the All C-USA Singles Second Team. Maldoner/Vidal garnered All Conference USA Doubles First Team accolades.
Lalami compiled a 14-5 overall record in singles and finished the season on an eight match win streak, in which he only lost two sets during that span. The Casablanca, Morocco native went 7-0 at home, 3-0 against conference opponents, 10-2 against regional foes and 11-5 versus non-conference opposition. He had eight singles wins over top 75 ranked teams. In addition to his singles accomplishments, he was ranked as high as No. 65 in doubles this year.
Maldoner, last year's Conference USA Player of the Year, was named to the all-league team for singles, as well as doubles again this season. Playing in the No. 1 slot for ODU, he rattled off eight straight victories during the year, finishing with a 9-8 mark. The Innsbruck, Austria native went 7-4 against regional opponents and had six singles wins over top 75 ranked teams.
Podvinski, last year's Conference USA Newcomer of the Year, was named to the all-league singles second team again this season. The Zagreb, Croatia native had an overall record of 10-9 for the year, playing in the No. 1 and 2 slots. He picked up nationally ranked wins over No. 98 Matthis Ross (Virginia Tech) and No. 107 Nicaise Muamba (Liberty). Podvinski went 6-1 in his home matches and 7-4 against regional opposition. He also had five singles wins over top 75 ranked teams.
Maldoner/Vidal ended the season nationally ranked No. 76, which was the second highest ranked tandem in the league. At one point this year, Maldoner/Vidal were ranked as high as No. 25 by the ITA. This season they went 11-8 overall, 4-1 at home and picked up three nationally ranked wins over No. 26 Murgett/Maclean (Auburn), No. 61 Chrysostom/Ribeiro (Virginia Tech) and No. 66 Huynh/Maughan (Georgia State). Maldoner/Vidal compiled six wins over top 75 ranked teams. These two were also named to the all-league doubles first team last year.
2021 Conference USA Men's Tennis Superlative Awards
Player of the Year – Francisco Rocha, Middle Tennessee
Freshman of the Year – Younes Lalami, Old Dominion
Newcomer of the Year – Kevin Huempfner, Florida Atlantic
Outstanding Singles Player of the Championship – Stijn Slump, Middle Tennessee
Outstanding Doubles Team of the Championship – Chris Edge/Tom Moonen, Middle Tennessee
Coach of the Year – Jimmy Borendame, Middle Tennessee
All-Conference USA Singles
First Team
Ignasi de Rueda, Charlotte
Henry Lieberman, Charlotte
*Chris Edge, Middle Tennessee
Francisco Rocha, Middle Tennessee
*Juri Reckow, UTSA
Joao Ceolin, UTSA
Second Team
*Maxime Lapraille, Florida Atlantic
Stijn Slump, Middle Tennessee
Luca Maldoner, Old Dominion
Younes Lalami, Old Dominion
*Tomislav Podvinski, Old Dominion
Sumit Sarkar, Rice
Olimjon Nabiev, Southern Miss
All-Conference USA Doubles
First Team
Pavel Motl/Stijn Slump, Middle Tennessee
*Luca Maldoner/Nicola Vidal, Old Dominion
*Sumit Sarkar/Conrad Russell, Rice
Second Team
Maxime Lapraille/Filip Krolo, Florida Atlantic
**Chris Edge/Tom Moonen, Middle Tennessee
*Roman Postolka/Michal Lusovsky, UAB
Javier Gonzalez/Garrett Skelly, UTSA
*Repeat Honoree
**Three-time selection