Illinois State mens tennis head coach Greg Kennett was named the Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year Tuesday, as voted by the head coaches in the Valley Confernce. This marks the first time in Kennetts four-year tenure at Illinois State that he has won the award.
This season Kennett led the Redbirds to their best finish in the Valley in the teams history. The Birds are 13-8 overall and 7-1 in the Valley this season going into the conference tournament. The Birds also finished the regular season standings alone in second place, only one match behind conference leader Indiana State.
Kennett was honored to win the award, but felt that his players deserve the credit for this seasons success.
It is certainly an honor for the coaches to appreciate how we did in the conference this year, Kennett said. All the credit for the success that we have had so far this season belongs to the players.
Kennett was not the only Bird to win a postseason award, however, as Djordje Uskokovic and Ben Pettinari were named to the Valley All-Conference team in the No. 1 doubles position, and Jason Smit and Ciaran Foley earned the same honor in the No. 2 doubles spot.
Uskokovic and Pettinari went 15-8 overall and 7-4 against Valley opponents in the No. 1 doubles postion during the spring season. The duo won four out of their last five matches. In the No. 2 doubles position, Smit and Foley were almost unbeatable this spring, going 13-1 overall and 8-0 against Valley opponents.
Kennett recognizes the importance that these doubles teams have had on the teams success this season.
Both doubles teams played very well together, Kennet expressed. They played especially well in the conference matches which really helped us as a team.
The Birds will look to ride the momentum of a six match win streak as they enter the Valley Conference Championships to be held April 25-27, in Wichita, Kan.
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