Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Marc Abdelnour Earns No. 116 ITA Rank
6/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
June 10, 2009
BOCA RATON, FL - Marc Abdelnour ended his sophomore campaign at Florida Atlantic University with an ITA national rank of No. 116, with more than 2,000 players competing at the NCAA Division I level, his national rank places him among the country's top 10 percent.
"Marc is a relentless competitor and a bright young man," said Brandon Stokes, FAU's head men's tennis coach. "He always strives to do his best. He competed under strenuous pressure at the top spot for our team in singles and doubles all season. He gave his best at those times to help lead us on court."
A native of Aleppo, Syria, Abdelnour was 26-6 overall and 21-3 in dual match play, primarily playing at the No. 1 position. Abdelnour guided the Owls to an 18-8 team record and the program's highest Sun Belt Conference tournament finish as runners up.
Abdelnour climbed as high as No. 77 Nationally and held that position for several weeks. His season-ending Southeast Regional rank was No. 28 and is the first FAU player since the Owls moved into NCAA Division I to finish the season with a regional rank. While Abdelnour began the season unranked, he became the third player to end the season nationally ranked and doing so in three consecutive seasons (2007, 2008, and 2009).
He began the 2009 dual match season in early January and rattling off 15-consecutive victories, including a number of wins over ranked opponents and a home-court victory, in straight sets, of Rice University's Bruno Rosa, a 2009 All-American and top 16 player in the nation. Along the way, Abdelnour earned Sun Belt Player of the Week twice and was the only player in the league to earn the award multiple times. Abdelnour was selected by the league's coaches as a first team All-Sun Belt honoree.
His national recognition did not end with his singles court play. He also teamed with senior Eddie Majcher to hold a no. 1 doubles rank for several weeks. Abdelnour excelled in the classroom posting above a 3.0 GPA during the spring semester.
"It's exciting to watch Marc grow as a competitor and leader," added Stokes. "We have two more years together and I am grateful for this. If he continues to work hard this summer back home, he will inspire and challenge the rest of the Owls to raise their standard of success. I am happy for Marc that his hard work and competitive fire was recognized by the Sun Belt Conference, the Southeast region, and nationally. He earned it."
Players Mentioned
