Men’s tennis doubles up on NEC honors

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Three days after knocking off Northeast Conference perennial powerhouse Quinnipiac, 6-1, the Bryant University men's tennis team swept this week's league awards, as Juan-Martin Paredes (Quito, Ecuador) picked up NEC Player of the Week while Dana Parziale (Pinehurst, N.C.) was named NEC Rookie of the Week.

These distinctions mark the second time this month Bryant men's tennis has claimed both awards in the same week, as the Bulldogs (10-6, 5-0 NEC) remained perfect in league play after downing the Bobcats on Saturday.

Paredes becomes the second different Bulldog to take home NEC Player of the Week honors during the month of March. Not that all of Bryant's five wins this month weren't important, but Paredes' honor comes after the junior led the way for arguably the most-meaningful team victory in program history. 

The Ecuadorian native was a double-winner during the Bulldogs' 6-1 team triumph over defending NEC champion Quinnipiac, a victory that ran Bryant's NEC record to 5-0 in 2010-11. Winning matches at both at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles, Paredes took down opponents with all-NEC credentials.  He came back to outlast Quinnipiac senior Brian Mikkelson in a third-set super tiebreaker, 4-6, 6-4, 10-3.  Mikkelson, who has two all-NEC singles selections and a trio of doubles honors to his credit, also fell to Paredes in double play.  Paredes and partner Nolan Gelman downed Mikkelson and Andrew Weeden, 8-5, to help Bryant to the doubles point.  

Reigning NEC rookie of the month, Parziale picks up his second NEC weekly rookie award of the spring semester, with this latest honor coming after the biggest dual match singles win of his young collegiate career. A double-winner in Bryant's 6-1 team victory over defending NEC champion Quinnipiac, Parziale quickly defeated James Kwei at No. 3 singles,   6-4, 6-0. 

Prior to defeating Kwei, who was an all-NEC first team selection at No. 5 singles in 2010, Parziale helped the Bulldogs take the doubles point. Parziale and teammate Cristian Balestrieri took down Quinnipiac's No. 3 doubles tandem, 8-3.  Since defeating Sacred Heart's Cole Conrad on February 26, the Bryant rookie has won 7 of 8 singles contests.  He owns an 11-4 singles record, including a 4-0 NEC clip, during dual match team play.

The Bulldogs return to action with a road trip to Big East contender Villanova on Saturday, April 3.