May 13, 2008

Led by USC senior Kaes Van't Hof, the USC men's tennis team claimed six of the eight ITA West Region accolades for this 2007-08 season. Van't Hof hauled in four different honors while Brett Masi was named Assistant Coach of the Year and Robert Farah is the Player to Watch for the region. On the women's side, sophomore Gabriela Niculescu was the West Region's pick as the ITA Player to Watch.

Kaes Van't Hof's laundry list of 2008 regional accolades begins with his second consecutive selection as the West Region's recipient of the ITA/Arthur Ashe Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship, which goes to a player who has exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and leadership as well as scholastic, extracurricular and tennis achievements. The 2008 Pac-10 Singles Champion, Van't Hof also has been honored as the West Region's Farnsworth/ITA Senior Player of the Year and is the region's nominee for the ITA/John Can Nostrand Memorial Award and the ITA/Rafael Osuna Sportsmanship Award - both national honors to be selected at the close of the 2008 season.

Brett Masi's selection as the West Region's Assistant Coach of the Year makes it back-to-back honors for him with the award, while Robert Farah's pick as the West Region's ITA Player to Watch is the first such regional honor for the sophomore. For the Women of Troy, USC sophomore Gabriela Niculescu's powerful first season at Troy earned her selection as the West Region's ITA Player to Watch. The Player to Watch award is granted to a player who has an outstanding season and is expected to perform at a high level the rest of his or her career. This award's criteria also include a player's sportsmanship and character.