RICHMOND, Va. – For the second time in four seasons, an Elon University men's tennis student-athlete has been named CAA Player of the Year with Felipe Sarrasague earning the honor for the 2017-18 season.
 
Announced Wednesday, May 2, by the CAA, Sarrasague is also a First Team All-CAA Singles honoree for the third season in a row. He's joined on the team by fellow junior Mario Paccini to help Elon tie UNCW for the most on the league's top squad. In doubles, Paccini and Neal Port paired to earn First Team All-CAA honors.
 
Sarrasague is now the fourth player in Elon's Division I era – all of which have come in the last six seasons – to earn conference Player of the Year. Cameron Silverman won Southern Conference Player of the Year in back-to-back campaigns in 2013 and 2014 before Stefan Fortmann took the CAA Player of the Year honor in Elon's first year as a member of the conference in 2015. In 2016, Sarrasague was also the CAA's Rookie of the Year.
 
A 20-match winner in 2017-18, Sarrasague posted a combined record of 20-11 since the start of the fall campaign. Fourteen of those victories came during the spring season with 12 of them coming at the No. 1 spot. During the year, Sarrasague put together an eight-match winning streak and while he lost eight matches this spring, three of the defeats came to nationally-ranked opponents. In doubles action, Sarrasague contributed 15 victories. He played primarily with Salvador Mijares – mostly at the No. 2 position – earning 11 wins with his fellow classmate. With the 20 singles wins, Sarrasague pushed his total to a team-best 44 victories. Paired with the 15 doubles triumphs, he now has 28 doubles wins in his career to make 72 overall victories in his three years.
 
Paccini, now a First Team All-CAA Singles honoree for the second time in his career, finished his junior season with 17 singles victories across the spring and fall campaigns. During the spring season, Paccini posted 12 wins to place in a tie for third on the team in the category. Ten of those wins came at the No. 2 spot with the other two coming at No. 1. Paccini won all seven of his singles matches during Elon's seven-match winning streak in March. With his 17 singles wins, it marks the most in a single season to date for the Madrid, Spain, native and pushes his career total to 36 singles victories.
 
Partnered with Paccini at No. 1 doubles throughout the year, Port has now been named an All-CAA Doubles performer in each of the last two seasons after picking up a Second Team nod in 2016-17. Paccini is also now a two-time All-CAA Doubles honoree after being a being named to the Second Team in 2016-17. Together, the duo went 11-5 with each match coming during the spring season. Overall, Port posted a 16-7 doubles mark in 2017-18 and Paccini a record of 14-9.
 
2018 CAA Men's Tennis Awards
First Team
Singles
Felipe Sarrasague, Elon
Mario Paccini, Elon
Christian Cargill, William & Mary
Benedikt Henning, Charleston
Agustin Savarino, UNCW
Andres Torres, UNCW
 
Doubles
Mario Paccini, Elon
Neal Port, Elon
Raphael Calzi, UNCW
Ignasi de Rueda, UNCW
Theophile Lanthiez, James Madison
Paul Mendoza, James Madison
 
Second Team
Singles
Alvaro Arce, James Madison
Ignasi de Rueda, UNCW
Juan Estevarena, Charleston
Hamza Laalej, Drexel
Paul Mendoza, James Madison
Alec Miller, William & Mary
           
Doubles
Juan Estevarena, Charleston
Benedikt Henning, Charleston
Coco Haener, Hofstra
Niko Vulinovich, Hofstra
Sinan Orhon, Drexel
Bernard Tefel, Drexel
 
2018 CAA Player of the Year: Felipe Sarrasague, Elon
2018 CAA Rookie of the Year: Alvaro Arce, James Madison
2018 CAA Coach of the Year: Matt DuBois, UNCW