Comu & Quaynor Garner First-Team Honors

MELBOURNE, Fla. (April 27, 2023) - The Sunshine State Conference announced their award winners for the 2023 spring season on Thursday. Rollins junior Efe Comu and sophomore Luke Quaynor were selected for both first team singles as well as first team doubles. They are the only players in the conference to be named first team for both.

Rollins put together their best season in years, thanks in large part to the superior play of Comu and Quaynor. Comu, a native of Istanbul, Turkey, posted a 14-7 record on the season, including 11-7 from position one. He defeated three nationally ranked opponents while facing on eof the hardest individual schedules in the country. 

From coach Jay Friedman: "From the beginning of my first year Efe has had that, 'it' factor. I have been hoping for him to get to place mentally where all the pieces he has start to come together for him and I think this year being tested day in and day out playing at the top of the order really revealed the possibilities ahead for this young man. I'm deeply happy to see him continue to grow and evolve and I can only say, wait till next year!"

Quaynor, hailing from London, England, led Rollins in wins this season, going 19-3 in singles competition. He was 15-3 from second position, 3-0 in first position, and 1-0 in third position. He was 2-2 against nationally ranked opponents this year. Quaynor is currently ranked #49 in the country.

From coach Jay Friedman: "What can I say about Luke, the future is bright. This young man is full of surprises. His raw talent is probably the best Rollins has seen in many years. As he continues to mature, he will find a level that puts him in a whole other class. This young man's tennis IQ is off the charts and what he brings to our team is far beyond any thing that can be honoured by those who don't see it day by day."

The two also formed one of the top doubles duos in Division II. Playing exclusively out of position one, Comu and Quaynor went 15-6 for the year, while battling the best tandems each opponent had to offer. In the three SSC tournament games alone, they defeated the #6, #9, and #20 doubles teams in the country. As of the latest ITA poll on April 26, the pair was ranked #3 in the doubles power rankings.

Fro Coach Jay Friedman: "As a doubles team I think most people didn't see this year playing out this way from the jump. But I couldn't be prouder for Luke and Efe together. They have pushed each other, learned from each other, and certainly done it at times when all they had was each other to rely on (sorry guys). This honor is well deserved, and I'd be remiss to not mention a solid cast of supporting teammates they got to practice against and who pushed them to be that much more capable in big matches. We really are a quality doubles team so I hope everyone shares in this the same."

Ivan Marrero of Saint Leo took home Player of the Year after going 17-0 in singles play. Mario Garoz from Florida Southern was named Freshman of the Year after posting a 17-4 record. Coach of the Year was awarded to Chad Berryhill of Saint Leo who led the Lions to a 20-1 record and the SSC regular season title.