University Park, Pa. — The Penn State men's tennis program notched three awards in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Northeast Region. Assistant coach Dan Holman was named ITA Northeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year, senior Michael James (Clifton, Va.) was tabbed Senior Player of the Year and freshman Eddie Bourchier (Hobart, Australia) garnered ITA Northeast Region Rookie Player of the Year.
In his third season as an assistant coach at Penn State, Holman played an integral part in the success of the men's tennis program. He helped lead the Lions to the NCAA Championship for the third consecutive season with a 15-11 regular season record, marking an NCAA berth in each of Holman's three seasons in Happy Valley. Holman and the Nittany Lions notched the program's first win in under the modern day 64-team NCAA Championship format with a 4-0 triumph over VCU on May 10. The season included eight victories over ranked opponents for the Lions. Holman also played a pivotal role in Penn State's first ECAC Championship in October, which sent the Lions to the ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships for the first time.
He plays an instrumental role in the team's success on and off the court. The men's tennis team was honored for their outstanding work in the classroom with the Varsity "S" Award at the 21st Annual Academic Achievement Awards Banquet on April 15 for having the highest team GPA for the 2006-07 season.
"It is great to see Dan receive this award because he has had a big impact on our guys and program over the last three years." said head coach Todd Doebler.
James capped off his fourth season at Penn State with a stout list of accolades. In the fall, James led the Nittany Lions to the school's first ECAC Championship with four convincing victories at the No. 1 spot in the lineup. The Nittany Lion senior also qualified for the ITA National Indoor Championships with a dominating performance at the ITA Northeast Regional Championships. James captured the tournament crown after losing just one set in his march through the 64-player draw. He also competed in the Polo/Ralph Lauren ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa for the first time in his career. After finishing 15-4 in the fall, James was ranked No. 1 in the ITA Northeast Region.
In the spring, James went 13-9 at the No. 1 spot in the singles order. He finished the season with a team-high 28 victories in singles play, including eight wins over ranked opponents. James was named to the 2008 All-Big Ten team for the second consecutive year. He closed out his Penn State career with a 109-38 overall record.
"By going undefeated in our region and having some great results, Michael is very deserving of this award." said coach Doebler.
Bourchier tallied a 10-4 record in his first collegiate fall. He stepped right into the singles lineup when the spring dual season began. The Lion rookie played in 24 of the Lions' 28 duals this spring. After a bit of a slow start, Bourchier was one of four Nittany Lions to register seven victories in Big Ten play. He went 12-10 in dual matches this spring. Overall, the Australian freshman was 22-14 in singles competition during his first collegiate season.
"Eddie made his impact felt from day one and helped us win the ECAC Championship and then his success on court continued through out the spring semester. We are looking for him making another big jump before his sophomore year." said Doebler.
The Nittany Lions finished their season on Sunday with a 4-0 setback against top-ranked Virginia in the NCAA Round of 32. Penn State will be back in action in the fall.