Men’s Tennis’ Flach and Reynolds Earn ITA Regional Honors 5/13/03

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Vanderbilt men’s tennis head coach Ken Flach and junior Bobby Reynolds (Acworth, Ga.) earned Intercollegiate Tennis Association regional awards on Monday. Flach was named Wilson/ITA Southeast Coach of the Year, while Reynolds was acknowledged as the Player to Watch.

Flach, who was named the 2003 Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year, is enjoying his best season since taking over the coaching reigns back in 1997. Prior to this season, Flach’s best record was 13-13 in 2000. This year’s team has set program-best marks with 24 overall wins and nine SEC victories. The most wins the Commodores had ever compiled in SEC play was four prior to this season (1999).

Flach also helped guide the Commodores to their first-ever SEC Tournament Championship and their first trip to the NCAA Sweet 16. Flach’s squad will take on 10th-ranked Texas A&M at 12 p.m. (EST) Saturday on the campus of the University of Georgia.

The ITA Player to Watch award goes to an athlete who has had an outstanding season and is expected to perform at a high level the rest of his career. Reynolds, who has been named ITA National Player of the Month three times this year, will take a 41-6 overall record into Saturday’s match with the Aggies. More impressively is Reynolds’ dual-match record, which currently stands at 22-1. Reynolds was named 2003 SEC Player of the Year and the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.