IRVING, Texas – Rice junior Petro Kuzmenok was selected as the 2026 American Conference Men’s Tennis Player of the Year by the league’s head coaches, as announced by the conference on Tuesday.
Charlotte’s Moritz Muenster and Memphis’ Marcos Castro Fabra were named the American’s Freshmen of the Year. Tulsa head coach Vince Westbrook was tabbed by his counterparts as the American Coach of the Year.
Kuzmenok was a double all-conference performer in the American for the second straight season, becoming the first player from Rice to claim men’s tennis player of the year accolades as a league member. Kuzmenok posted a 20-9 combined record playing at the number one singles court for the Owls, winning four or more consecutive decisions three separate times during the season to reach a peak ITA singles ranking of 49. Kuzmenok and doubles partner Santiago Navarro added a 21-4 doubles record to reach 42nd in the ITA doubles rankings and land on the all-conference team.
Muenster and Castro Fabra shared American Freshman of the Year honors following successful rookie campaigns at their respective universities. Muenster posted an 18-7 record in singles play, including a 7-1 mark at the number four court in dual matches, and won seven of his final nine singles matches during the season. Castro Fabra added an 18-8 singles record and a 9-5 doubles record with partner Sam Reeve to feature in the ITA doubles rankings and qualify for the American all-conference squad.
Westbrook captured American Coach of the Year honors for the first time after leading Tulsa to the conference tournament championship on home soil at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center. As the sixth seed in the tournament, Tulsa won four matches in four days and capped its first American men’s tournament championship with a 4-1 win over top-seeded Rice. Tulsa was ranked 54th in the most recent ITA rankings ahead of the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Tennis Championship and will face No. 10 seed Baylor in the first round of the national tournament.
Rice’s Kuzmenok was one of two players to be named to the American’s all-conference team in both singles and doubles, along with Daniel Phillips from Tulane.
2026 AMERICAN CONFERENCE MEN’S TENNIS POSTSEASON HONORS
Player of the Year
Petro Kuzmenok, Rice
Freshmen of the Year
Moritz Muenster, Charlotte
Marcos Castro Fabra, Memphis
Coach of the Year
Vince Westbrook, Tulsa
All-Conference Team
Singles
Vasco Prata, Charlotte
Petro Kuzmenok, Rice
Hugo Car, South Florida
Daniel Phillips, Tulane
Nikita Volonski, Tulsa
Zaid Al Mashni, Wichita State
Doubles
Marcos Castro Fabra/Sam Reeve, Memphis
Santiago Navarro/Petro Kuzmenok, Rice
Daniel Phillips/Lance Nisbet, Tulane