Friedman Headlines All-SSC Awards

MELBOURNE, Fla. – Twenty student-athletes have been named to the 2024 All-Sunshine State Conference men's tennis teams. Voting for the All-SSC teams was conducted among the league's men's tennis coaches.

League coaches pick Jay Friedman from Rollins as the SSC Coach of the Year. Friedman collects the award by leading the Tars to a 19-2 overall record and a 6-1 record in SSC play during the regular season. Under his instruction, Rollins finished second in the SSC regular season standings, earned a first-round bye in the conference postseason tournament, and is currently No. 5 ITA ranking. The Tars have amassed six straight Top-10 ITA rankings heading into the NCAA postseason, including four weeks at No. 4. Friedman is the fourth Rollins skipper to be named conference Coach of the Year in men's tennis, the first since Ron Bohrnstedt in 2004.

Efe Comu found himself on the first team singles list following a year playing from position one for the Tars. He finished 12-6 overall, playing against some of the toughest competition in the country. His opponents this year included #2 Martin Soukal (Saint Leo), #3 Alex Blanchard (Mississippi), #4 Ruben Fonga (Tiffin), #5 Daniel Grey (Wayne State), #11 Joao Ferreira (Barry), #19 Chris Fok Kow (Florida Southern), #27 Jorge Perez (Charleston), and #32 Gabrielle Felline (Lynn). Comu was also a first team All-SSC choice in 2023 as well. 

The duo of Richard Stoiberer and Luke Quaynor earned a spot on first team doubles. They posted a 9-2 record playing together from position one, and defeated fellow SSC first teamers Martin Soukal/Luis Iriarte at Saint Leo. They also had wins over duos from ranked teams Embry-Riddle, Lynn, Charleston, Wayne State, and Midwestern State. Stoiberer and Quaynor are currently ranked #14 in the ITA doubles poll.

Quaynor double-dipped on the list by also earning a second team spot in singles play. The England native went 12-5 overall, including an 11-4 mark from position two and a 1-1 record from position one. He went 4-1 in his last five matches of the regular season and SSC playoffs, pulling off wins against #15 Florida Southern, #8 Barry, and #13 Embry-Riddle. This is the second straight year of All-SSC recognition for Quaynor following his first team selection last season. 

Guillermo Castaneda joins Quaynor on second team singles following an impressive run for the Tars. He led Rollins in victories with a 16-4 overall record, playing from positions three, four, and five. He had streaks of five and seven wins in a row. His best performance came in the Tars' huge win over #9 Barry on April 7 when he took down Tim Riedel 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 on court four. Gui also had a phenomenal run of claiming victory against four straight ranked teams March 4-11 when he won against #14 Charleston, #8 Wayne State, #1 Saint Leo, and #4 Mississippi College. 

Castaneda and his fellow senior, Charlie Putrino, round out the Tars' accolades with a spot on second team doubles. The tandem went 11-4 playing together, leading Rollins in doubles wins. They went 4-1 from first position, and 7-3 from second position. Their wins included #9 Barry, #4 Mississippi, and #13 Embry-Riddle in the SSC playoffs.  

The remaining SSC awards were:
Player of the Year - Martin Soukal (Saint Leo)
Freshman of the Year - Joshua Nuyts (Emrby-Riddle)