Men's Tennis Announces 2019-20 Awards
6/11/2020 1:00:00 PM | Men's Tennis
WASHINGTON -Â GW men's tennis coach Rob Castille announced on Thursday the team's awards for the 2019-20 season. Sophomore Ethan Jacobs was named the Team MVP, sophomore Zicheng Zeng took home Most Improved honors and senior Jakub Behun earned the Coach's Award for the second year in a row.Â
Ethan Jacobs // So. // New City, NY
Ethan Jacobs // So. // New City, NY
Most Valuable Player
Coach Castille on Jacobs: "Ethan was a great addition to the team this year, both on and off the court. It took a little while for him to get going in the fall because transferring is never easy, and I know he really wanted to prove himself and establish himself as a top guy on the team. Once he settled in, he became our most consistent player. He was someone that we felt good about going into any match and he almost always came through. We have high expectations for Ethan going into next season and are confident he will continue to rise to any occasion we give him."
Jacobs was a team-best 14-7 in singles play in his first year in the Buff & Blue, including a 7-2 mark during dual meet season. He also paced the squad with 16 doubles win and finished the spring year with a perfect 2-0 record against A-10 foes in both singles and doubles play.
Zicheng Zeng // So. // Chengdu, China
Jacobs was a team-best 14-7 in singles play in his first year in the Buff & Blue, including a 7-2 mark during dual meet season. He also paced the squad with 16 doubles win and finished the spring year with a perfect 2-0 record against A-10 foes in both singles and doubles play.
Zicheng Zeng // So. // Chengdu, China
Most Improved
Coach Castille on Zeng: "Zicheng made some really good strides this year. There were certain aspects of his game that we wanted to work on and get better and he committed to improving those and worked really hard this fall. It was great to see him implementing these changes in his spring matches, and he was really starting to play well. Zicheng still has a very high ceiling, so I look forward to seeing him continue to improve, and I am already looking forward to next year."
Zeng played on the Colonials' top doubles pair for the second straight year, finishing 14-9 in tournament and dual matches. In singles play, Zeng split time between No. 1 and No. 2 and was 11-9 overall, picking up five wins in dual match meets.Â
Jakub Behun // Sr. // Bratislava, Slovakia
Zeng played on the Colonials' top doubles pair for the second straight year, finishing 14-9 in tournament and dual matches. In singles play, Zeng split time between No. 1 and No. 2 and was 11-9 overall, picking up five wins in dual match meets.Â
Jakub Behun // Sr. // Bratislava, Slovakia
Coach's Award
Coach Castille on Behun: "Jakub has been our team Captain for the past two years and has been a great leader for us. He has led by example, both on and off the court, and really was a great mentor for the younger guys we had on the team. This year showcased his leadership in a little different way. Jakub was able to handle some adversity in a positive way and used the situation to better himself and grow, which is a sign of a great leader."
"I've told Jakub that he is the best leader I have had over my 14-year career as a head coach, and we will definitely miss his leadership. But, I am confident in the leaders we have on the team moving forward, and that's in large part because they have had Jakub as their Captain for the past two years."
The Coach's Award is given to the player that most exemplifies the character and values of GW and the men's tennis program. This individual shows great leadership both on and off the court. In addition to his captaincy duties, Behun was a versatile team performer with a 5-3 mark in singles dual meets and posted a perfect 2-0 record in double play against A-10 foes.
"I've told Jakub that he is the best leader I have had over my 14-year career as a head coach, and we will definitely miss his leadership. But, I am confident in the leaders we have on the team moving forward, and that's in large part because they have had Jakub as their Captain for the past two years."
The Coach's Award is given to the player that most exemplifies the character and values of GW and the men's tennis program. This individual shows great leadership both on and off the court. In addition to his captaincy duties, Behun was a versatile team performer with a 5-3 mark in singles dual meets and posted a perfect 2-0 record in double play against A-10 foes.
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