April 27, 2011
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV senior Mehdi Bouras was named the 2011 Mountain West Conference Men's Tennis Player of the Year as the league announced its annual awards Wednesday.
The Paris, France, product is only the fourth UNLV men's player to ever win a league MVP award and the first since 2005. He joins Henner Nehles (MWC in 2005), three-time winner Roger Pettersson (1994-96 Big West Conference) and two-time honoree Scott Warner (1986-87 PCAA).
Bouras earned career-high rankings in both singles and doubles this year en route to a 21-11 singles record that included a 17-5 mark in dual matches at the top of the lineup. He went 5-1 in singles vs. league foes this season.
"This is a well-deserved honor for Mehdi," said UNLV head coach Owen Hambrook. "He has had a great year and with all of the quality players in this league, to be named the player of the year is a statement about what an outstanding young man and competitor he is. Mehdi is a great Rebel and this is a wonderful way for him to close out his career here."
Bouras was also one of a trio of Rebels to earn a spot on the all-conference team. The former MWC Freshman of the Year and 2010 ITA Mountain Region Player to Watch earned the singles honor for the third straight season. Also being named 2011 All-MWC in singles was freshman Tamas Batyi. The native of Budapest, Hungary, went 4-2 in league play as part of his 16-8 overall record forged primarily at the second and third spots in the lineup.
UNLV placed one doubles teams on the list as Bouras and partner Johannes Markel were tabbed after going 4-2 vs. MWC opponents at the top of the lineup.
The honors were decided by voting among the seven head coaches. The 2011 MWC Freshman of the Year was BYU's Patrick Kawka while the league's coach of the year will be announced next week.
Fourth seeded UNLV is currently in Fort Collins, Colo., competing at the MWC tournament.
2011 MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE MEN'S TENNIS AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Mehdi Bouras, UNLVFRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Patrick Kawka, BYUCOACH OF THE YEAR: To Be Announced Next Week
2011 ALL-MWC CONFERENCE TEAMSINGLES Georgy Batrakov, Jr., BYUSpencer Smith, So., BYUEvan Urbina, Sr., BYUBen Dunbar, Jr., New MexicoJadon Phillips, So., New MexicoJavier Pulgar, Jr., San Diego StateGiovanni Vaglietti, Sr., San Diego StateEmanuel Brighiu, Sr., TCUChristopher Price, Sr., TCUTamas Batyi, Fr., UNLVMehdi Bouras, Sr., UNLVBenito Suriano, Jr., Utah
DOUBLES Georgy Batrakov/Thomas Shubert, BYUPhil Anderson/Jadon Phillips, New MexicoConor Berg/Ben Dunbar, New MexicoGiovanni Vaglietti/Hunter Nicholas, San Diego StateEmanuel Brighiu/Christopher Price, TCUMehdi Bouras/Johannes Markel, UNLV
