AUGUSTA, Ga. – Flagler College's Baptiste Mercier was named the Peach Belt Conference's Co-Player of the Year presented by College Ave. Student Loans, Simon Malis was named the Freshman of the Year presented by College Ave. Student Loans, and Jonas Piibor was selected as the Co-Coach of the Year presented by College Ave. Student Loans according to a release from conference officials on Thursday.

Mercier is the second player in Flagler history to earn PBC Player of the Year honors (Jose Martinez, 2015). Malis is the second consecutive Flagler player to earn league freshman of the year honors. Piibor was selected as the conference's coach of the year for the second time in three years. He is the second Flagler coach to be named PBC Coach of the Year.

The Saints also had five singles players selected to the two all-conference teams and two doubles teams earned all-conference honors. The five singles all-conference members is a record for Flagler during the NCAA Division II era and is the most since 1999 when five members made the All-Florida Sun Conference teams.  

Jacopo Denitto and Mercier earned first team all-conference honors in singles. Ilian Borlee, Philipp Lemken, and Simon Malis received second team honors. In doubles, Borlee and Mercier as well as Malis and Lemken were first team honorees.

Mercier is ranked No. 9 (ITA Division II Top 50) in the nation and has a 28-10 overall record and is 13-3 this semester. He became the first player in the D2 era to win the ITA Cup. Denitto is ranked No. 16 and is 22-15 overall with an 11-6 mark this spring. He won the ITA Southeast Regional in the fall. Borlee has an impressive 25-4 overall record with 14-1 mark in the spring. He is riding a 12-match winning streak. Lemken holds a 23-7 overall record and is 13-3 this semester. He has reeled off 10 consecutive wins. Malis is ranked No. 75 and is 19-6 overall this year with a 13-2 mark this spring. He has won 10 matches in a row.

The doubles team of Lemken and Malis is ranked No. 33 in the nation. They are 10-2 this year and they have played together exclusively this spring. Borlee and Mercier is ranked No. 46 and holds an 11-2 record with all of those matches coming this semester.

Flagler, ranked No. 2 in the nation, takes a 15-2 overall record and a 5-0 mark into the PBC Tournament this weekend. The Saints are the No. 1 seed, having won the regular-season title, and will play in the semifinals on Saturday against an opponent yet to be determined at Columbus, Georgia.


2024 Peach Belt Conference Men's Tennis Teams
 
First Team

Singles
Joaquin Benoit, North Georgia
Thomas Cardona, Columbus State
Jacopo Denitto, Flagler
Enzo Garutti, Augusta
Baptiste Mercier, Flagler
Hugo Regner, Lander
 
Doubles
Joaquin Benoit & Robin Eldin, North Georgia
Ilian Borlee & Baptiste Mercier, Flagler
Simon Malis & Philipp Lemken, Flagler
Hugo Regner & Matthew De Groot, Lander
 
Second Team

Singles
Ilian Borlee, Flagler
Daniel Hammond, Columbus State
Philipp Lemken, Flagler
Simon Malis, Flagler
Ambroise Marchand, Lander
Giulio Sassi, North Georgia
 
Doubles
Markus Sorensen & Nick Beamish, Lander
Justin Welz & Camilo Cano, Columbus State

Elite 18 Award presented by Barnes & Noble College
Christopher Cahour, North Georgia

co-Players of the Year presented by College Ave. Student Loans
Baptiste Mercier, Flagler
Joaquin Benoit, North Georgia

Freshman of the Year presented by College Ave. Student Loans
Simon Malis, Flagler

co-Coaches of the Year presented by College Ave. Student Loans
Evan Isaacs, Columbus State
Jonas Piibor, Flagler

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