Conference Carolinas Releases 2021-22 Men’s Tennis All-Conference Honors
GREENVILLE, S.C. – The all-conference honors for the 2021-22 season for Conference Carolinas men’s tennis were officially released on Wednesday, April 27, 2022.
The all-conference awards were chosen by the league’s head coaches.
A junior from Durban, South Africa, Thembo Makhanya of Emmanuel was chosen as the Player of the Year for Conference Carolinas men’s tennis. Makhanya was an impressive 14-6 at No. 1 singles during the regular season. He closed the regular season on a seven-match winning streak. Playing mainly at No. 2 doubles, Makhanya finished the regular season with 15 wins in doubles. Makhanya is the first Emmanuel men’s tennis player to be chosen Player of the Year in Conference Carolinas.
A freshman from Agde, France, Merlin Bellet of Converse was selected as the Freshman of the Year. Bellet played all year at No. 1 singles, collecting 13 wins. He picked up 10 wins in doubles on the year playing at both No. 1 and No. 2 doubles. The freshman had eight wins in conference in both singles and doubles. Bellet gives Converse men’s tennis a major award in Conference Carolinas in its first season as a program.
In his sixth year at Belmont Abbey, Michael Salomon was tabbed by his peers as the Coach of the Year after leading the Crusaders to the regular-season title after finishing league play a perfect 10-0 as a team. According to conference records, Salomon is the first from Belmont Abbey since Mike Reidy in 1999 to be named Conference Carolinas men’s tennis Coach of the Year.
2021-22 Conference Carolinas Men’s Tennis All-Conference
Player of the Year
Thembo Makhanya, Emmanuel
Freshman of the Year
Merlin Bellet, Converse
Coach of the Year
Michael Salomon, Belmont Abbey
Elite 23
Elijah Buerkle, Belmont Abbey
First Team
Thembo Makhanya, Emmanuel
Zachary Blythe, Belmont Abbey
Armando Ferreira, Mount Olive
Liam Day, Francis Marion
Merlin Bellet, Converse
Xaveam Van Wijk, Belmont Abbey
Second Team
Kristoffer Staahlbrand, Barton
Diego Agudelo, Barton
Nelson Stafford, Belmont Abbey
Gregoire Legrand, Converse
Harri Lloyd-Evans, Francis Marion
Hanqing Wang, Lees-McRae
Third Team
Johan Holgersson, Barton
Kent Shiell, Belmont Abbey
Aditya Balda, Mount Olive
Adam Ibrahim, Mount Olive
Nicholas Cary, Belmont Abbey
Enzo Marcheschi, Southern Wesleyan