Three Bears Pick Up SoCon Postseason Awards

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Sophomore Nemanja Stefanovic and Marceau Fouilhoux were both crowned with all-conference laurels, while senior Victor Putter reeled in the distinguished Don Bunch/Buddy Hartsell Sportsmanship Award, with the release of Southern Conference men's tennis postseason awards on Wednesday afternoon.

Wednesday's announcement marked the eighth time in the last nine years that the Bears have raked in at least one all-conference accolade, and the sixth time over that span that the league has lauded multiple MU singles players with the laurel. Putter is the first Mercer tennis player to be decorated with the Don Bunch/Buddy Hartsell Sportsmanship Award.

A sophomore from Ontario, Canada, Stefanovic rattled off a team-best seven wins during the spring as MU's No. 1 singles player, including a pair of triumphs against SoCon competition. His league wins came at the expense of both The Citadel's Hayden Shoemake and Samford's Maxwell Giddens, but Stefanovic also raked in victories along the way in Mercer's dual matches with Jacksonville State, Army and Stetson.

Fouilhoux was equally as impressive, compiling eight wins during the spring, including five against league competition. Fouilhoux closed out the dual match portion of the campaign with a 6-3 mark at No. 3 singles, including wins over foes from The Citadel, Chattanooga and Furman, while also tacking up a big win against Wofford as the No. 2 singles player of the Bears. That win closed out a run that eventually netted Fouilhoux SoCon Player of the Week honors.

Putter, a native of Centurion Gauteng, South Africa, has tallied seven wins during the spring for the Orange & Black, including a 5-7 clip in the No. 6 singles position. He has captured three of his last four matchups heading into SoCon Tournament play, including league triumphs over Chattanooga, The Citadel and Furman.

The fourth-seeded Bears (7-12, 4-3 SoCon) will open their portion of play in the SoCon Tournament on Thursday when they tangle with fifth-seeded Chattanooga (9-14, 3-4) at The Champions Club in Chattanooga, Tenn. That quarterfinal matchup is scheduled to get underway at 1 p.m.

Players Mentioned

Marceau Fouilhoux

Victor Putter

Nemanja Stefanovic

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