WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue men's tennis senior Athell Bennett added to his growing list of accolades Wednesday as a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection.
The Valley Stream, N.Y., native was in the midst of one of the best spring campaigns in recent memory. Bennett climbed to No. 20 in the ORACLE/ITA national rankings, the second-highest singles spot in program history.
The senior was 9-2 in the spring, all at No. 1, and on a nine-match unbeaten streak when the season was halted to the COVID-19 pandemic. He downed five nationally ranked players, including a trio of top-10 opponents. In the fall, he battled his way to the semifinals of the Ohio Valley Regional and made the second round of the ITA All-American Championships and ITA Fall Nationals, defeating the Big Ten Player of the Year Andrew Fenty of Michigan in the latter.
The 2020 selection marked the fifth straight campaign that put a Boilermaker on a postseason honoree, as well as Bennett's second consecutive pick.
Earlier in the week, Bennett was named the Ohio Valley Senior Player of the Year and the Senior Most Improved Player by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. He closed his career with a 72-32 mark in singles play and a 49-31 record in doubles.
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