Men's Tennis Team Sweeps GNAC All-Conference Awards
The men’s tennis team took home nine awards from the Great Northeast Athletic Conference as the league announced its All-Conference teams April 21.
Head Coach Steve Counihan was voted GNAC’s Coach of the Year by his peers. Counihan led the Rams to a perfect regular season with an 8-0 record, winning all four of conference matches as they headed into league tournament. Counihan was the coach for both men’s and women’s team in the 2009-10 campaign. He had led Suffolk’s Women’s Tennis team to its first ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2007.
Freshman Harlan Strader was named Co-Rookie of the Year for the GNAC. Strader, who was named GNAC Rookie of the Week on two occasions this season, posted a perfect 8-0 record in singles play this year, primarily playing out of the number four position. Strader was also a second-team All-Conference selection.
Strader also earned recognition for his play in doubles action as he and senior Diego Alvarado were named the top doubles pair in the league. Both recorded a 7-1 record as Suffolk’s top duo this past season.
Alvarado, sophomore Chris Staley and senior Jared Orkin were named first-team All-Conference selections.
Alvarado posted a 6-2 overall record in singles play as the Rams’ top player. Alvarado was 3-1 in GNAC matches this season and was a combined 13-3 in both singles and doubles play.
Staley, the defending GNAC Rookie of the Year, finished the regular season 8-0 in singles play. In two seasons the sophomore now posts a 16-3 record in his singles matches. This season Staley was dominant in the two position for Suffolk and also was named to the GNAC’s second team for doubles, as he and partner John Samander were a perfect 8-0 in doubles play.
Samander was also a second-team All-Conference selection, as the junior went a combined 16-0 on the season. Samander was 8-0 in singles play out of the five position for the Rams.
Orkin, finished the season 7-0 in singles and a combined 6-0 in doubles play this season. Orkin who primarily played in the three position for Suffolk was 6-0 in that spot for the Rams.