The Intercollegiate Tennis Association announced Wednesday that UNC fifth-year senior William Blumberg and assistant coach Tripp Phillips are the recipients of key ITA regional awards.

Blumberg was named the winner of both the Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award and the ITA Rafael Osuna Sportsmanship Award.

Phillips earned the ITA Carolina Regional Assistant Coach of the Year Award.

By winning regional honors, both Blumberg and Phillips are eligible to win the same awards at the national level.

Blumberg recently finished the 2021 season by becoming the ITA’s first ever 10-time All-American, having earned that status in both singles and doubles competition for all five seasons he played for the Tar Heels — taking advantage of an extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also became the first Tar Heel to ever reach the quarterfinals of the NCAA Men’s Singles Tournament four times, reaching the final eight this season before falling to Baylor’s Adrian Boitan in straight sets.

That same day, Blumberg and doubles partner Brian Cernoch lost in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Doubles Tournament against Baylor’s Constantin Frantzen and Sven Lah.

UNC posted a 21-4 record in team dual competition in 2021 and reached the No. 1 national ranking after winning the ITA National Indoor Tournament in February. The Tar Heels ended the year ranked No. 6 in the final ITA poll after a close loss to Georgia in the NCAA Tournament Round of 16.

 

 

Photo via UNC Athletics

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