Photo by: Evert Nelson / The American
Westbrook Named Coach of the Year, Volonski Earns All-Conference Honors
4/28/2026 9:44:00 AM | Men's Tennis
IRVING, Texas – The American Conference announced its men's tennis postseason honors Monday morning, with Tulsa head coach Vince Westbrook named Coach of the Year and Nikita Volonski earning All-Conference singles honors.
Westbrook guided the Golden Hurricane to a 19-12 overall record and a season-high ranking of No. 54. The long-time head coach led Tulsa to its first American Conference Championship title in program history in April, marking his ninth conference championship at the helm. With the victory, Tulsa secured an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, the 20th appearance under Westbrook.
Volonski paced Tulsa throughout the season, posting a 14-9 singles record and a team-best 20-8 mark in doubles, while also adding nine wins during fall competition. The Sydney, Australia native recorded multiple ranked singles victories, defeating the nation's No. 53, No. 61 and No. 122 players over the course of the year.
The junior delivered in key moments, clinching Tulsa's 4-3 win over No. 57 Wichita State and securing the decisive point in a 4-1 victory over No. 49 Rice in the American Conference Championship final, earning him American Conference Championship Most Outstanding Player.
Tulsa returns to action Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, where the Golden Hurricane will face No. 10 seed Baylor in Waco, Texas. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.
Westbrook guided the Golden Hurricane to a 19-12 overall record and a season-high ranking of No. 54. The long-time head coach led Tulsa to its first American Conference Championship title in program history in April, marking his ninth conference championship at the helm. With the victory, Tulsa secured an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, the 20th appearance under Westbrook.
Volonski paced Tulsa throughout the season, posting a 14-9 singles record and a team-best 20-8 mark in doubles, while also adding nine wins during fall competition. The Sydney, Australia native recorded multiple ranked singles victories, defeating the nation's No. 53, No. 61 and No. 122 players over the course of the year.
The junior delivered in key moments, clinching Tulsa's 4-3 win over No. 57 Wichita State and securing the decisive point in a 4-1 victory over No. 49 Rice in the American Conference Championship final, earning him American Conference Championship Most Outstanding Player.
Tulsa returns to action Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, where the Golden Hurricane will face No. 10 seed Baylor in Waco, Texas. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
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