Friday, April 04, 2008

MACON, Ga. - Gardner-Webb sophomore Evgeny Slesarev helped the Bulldogs to a 2-1 week, including a victory over Atlantic Sun foe Lipscomb last week. His three singles victories moved him into a tie for a single-season team record, and on Friday, the conference office awarded him his first Player of the Week honor of the season.

Slesarev went 3-0 last week with wins over Longwood, Lipscomb and East Carolina. The sophomore did not drop a set in three singles matches, also winning 2-of-3 doubles bouts over Lipscomb (8-2) and ECU (8-5). ECU's No. 1 team was 11-5 on the season entering the match. Slesarev tied the GWU men's tennis record of 14 wins with his 6-3, 6-0 win over ECU at the No. 1 spot. The Krasnoyarsk, Russia native has been a force at the No. 1 spot for the Bulldogs this year. He has dominated his opponents with big serves and big game.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is a 12-member league committed to Building Winners for Life, with a focus on academic and athletic integrity and a balance between the two for the student-athlete, and maintaining a high level of sportsmanship. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun encompasses six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun consists of some of the most dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Gardner-Webb University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

Other Top Performers:

Javier Tori, Campbell (So. – Lima, Peru – Business Administration) – Has 37 combined wins this season which is seventh-best in school history.

Jordi Ballester, Jacksonville (So. – Elche, Spain – Exercise Science) – Ballester was the last player on the court against Florida Gulf Coast with the score tied and won the match for the Dolphins.