DALLAS –   Middle Tennessee graduate student Stepan Holis is receiving this week’s men’s tennis athlete of the week award, while the Rice doubles team of Maria Budin and Diae El Jardin earns the honor for the women. All weekly awards are presented by Surf & Turf Golf.
 
C-USA Men’s Athlete of the Week – Stepan Holis, Middle Tennessee, Gr., Zasova, Czech Republic
Holis had an outstanding performance at the prestigious 74th Annual Blue Gray National Tennis Classic in Montgomery, Ala., as Middle Tennessee defeated three ranked opponents to claim the championship. He posted a 3-0 mark in singles, clinching every match for the Blue Raiders on court No. 4, including his first ranked win on the season against #82 Hoeyeraal of Arizona 6-1, 7-6 (7-5). In doubles, Holis went 2-0 with wins over #19 Arizona and #29 Princeton. Overall, he went 5-0 on the weekend playing a crucial role in the Blue Raiders capturing the BG National Tennis Classic title for the first time in school history.
 
C-USA Women’s Athletes of the Week – Maria Budin, Rice, Jr., Bristol, United Kingdom/Diae El Jardi, Rice, Sr., Casablanca, Morocco
The Rice doubles team of Budin and El Jardi defeated the third-ranked doubles team in the nation, handing Texas A&M’s Jayci Goldsmith and Tatiana Markarova their first loss of the year (7-6). This marks the duo’s fifth career win over a ranked opponent and their first against a doubles team inside the top 40. The victory set the stage for a win at the third line to give the Owls the doubles point against the seventh-ranked Aggies.
 
2022 C-USA Men’s Athletes of the Week
J19         Joao Ceolin, UTSA
J26        Oskar Brostrom Poulsen, Middle Tennessee
F2          Francois Le Tallec, Old Dominion
F9          Francisco Rocha, Middle Tennessee
F16        Stijn Slump, Middle Tennessee
F23        Chris Edge, Middle Tennessee
M2         Stepan Holis, Middle Tennessee
 
2022 C-USA Women’s Athletes of the Week
J19        Martina Kudelova, Florida Atlantic
J26        Emma Vanderheyden, Marshall
F2          Yuliia Starodubstseva, Old Dominion
F9          Alexandra Viktorovich, Old Dominion
F16        Alexandra Viktorovich, Old Dominion
F23        Allison Zipoli, Rice
M2         Maria Budin/Diae El Jardi, Rice