Southland Release

FRISCO, Texas – Four members of the Nicholls State University men's tennis team were recognized by the Southland Conference, led by first-team selections Dmitry Kozionov and freshman of the year Nico Mertens as the league announced its all-conference teams Thursday.

In addition, senior Roy Knight received second-team honors while the duo of Kozionov and freshman Jeoffrey Noblecourt claimed a spot on the first-team doubles squad. Kozionov also captured the conference championship for No. 2 singles as the Izhevsk, Russia native compiled a perfect 3-0 record at the position.

Since joining the Southland in 2005, the Colonels had only two players earn first-team honors – Kozionov (2010) and Abhaya Prakash (2009) – and never had more than two individuals earn all-conference in singles in the same season. The four overall honorees also match the most in program history, which was achieved in 2010. 

Kozionov, a four-time All-Southland honoree including freshman of the year in 2010,  led Nicholls to the Southland Conference Tournament for the second straight year, finishing the regular season with an 11-6 overall record and 4-1 in the Southland. The senior, who played No.1 and No. 2 singles, was superb in his final campaign, winning 10 matches in straight sets including all four conference victories. Against top competition, Kozionov had two wins versus ranked teams and was 1-2 against nationally-ranked players with his losses coming in three sets or extra points. For his career, Kozionov posts a remarkable 52-21 record in singles.

Mertens joins Kozionov not only on the first-team squad, but as the only other Colonel to earn Southland freshman of the year honors. Mertens, a native of Hilden, Germany, also went 11-6 and 4-1, playing all 17 of his matches at No. 3. Nine of his wins came in straight sets, with three coming in Southland play. Even in defeat, Mertens was impressive as his two losses against nationally-ranked Texas A&M and LSU came in three sets and his only setback in conference involved extra points.

Knight, a senior from Bodmin, England, received his second all-conference nod after earning first-team No. 1 doubles as a freshman. On the year, he posted a 9-5 record and matched Kozionov and Mertens with a 4-1 mark in the SLC, playing primarily at the No. 4 spot. Knight recorded six straight-set victories, gave up one point or less in four sets and had the Colonels' second longest winning streak at five matches. 

Rounding out the honorees is the doubles team of Noblecourt and Kozoniov, who paired up in the beginning of March for a 4-1 overall record. The duo went unscathed in conference, winning in the final two matches of the season, which included a victory against Southland champion and nationally-ranked Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The tandem played all three positions for the Colonels, going 3-0 at the No. 2 spot.

The Colonels, who finished with a winning record in conference for the second straight season, will begin play in the Southland Conference Tournament against the University of New Orleans on Saturday (April 27). First serve at the Municipal Tennis Center in Beaumont, Texas is scheduled for 10 a.m.