Railsplitters Present Awards To Three Individuals
April 26, 2012
HARROGATE, TN -- The Lincoln Memorial University men's tennis team and head coach Benny Collins said farewell to the 2011-12 campaign, as they honored three individuals at the LMU Athletics Banquet, the annual celebration of the players and teams that were on display for the Railsplitters this season.
After finishing the regular season with the No. 3 seed for the South Atlantic Conference Tennis Championship, the Railsplitters foughth their way all the way to the championship match after defeats of Catawba College and Anderson University. LMU would fall in the finals and sit just outside of earning a bid for the NCAA Tournament. They capped the season with a 18-4 overall mark that was highlighted by an eleven-match winning streak.
The first award went to Marcelo Alvim, as he was presented with the Coaches Award. Regarding Alvim, coach Collins stated, "He never says anything, just smiles and plays and wins. He never complains one time." In singles play, Alvim went 13-5, all at the No. 3 flight. Alvim made his mark in doubles play as he recorded an outstanding 21-1 mark in the No. 2 slot, going 8-1 in the South Atlantic Conference.
His playing partner, Will Sparks, was the recipient of the 110% Award. In his first season at LMU, the Knoxville, Tennessee native made waves by compiling a 10-10 record in the No. 2 singles spot and a 21-1 record in the second doubles flight. Regarding Sparks, coach Collins noted, "He's always the first player on the court and the last to leave. He came her and put a spark on the program."
Not much more can be said that has not already been said about the Most Valuable Player Award winner, which went to junior Philipp Hoffmann. Hoffmann also raked in the Athlete of the Year honor later in the evening to go along with his third-consecutive All-SAC First Team selection for individual play as well as doubles. He went 18-1 this season at the No. 1 flight in singles and 16-5 in doubles play. This season, he set the record for individual wins in the history of LMU. He has extended that record to 55 wins to only three losses.
The Railsplitters also said goodbye to seniors Corbett Smith and Tom Goossens, whose hard work, dedication and passion for Railsplitter athletics should not be forgotten. Preparations will begin shortly for the 2012-13 campaign.
