Kutrovsky, Diaz Barriga honored by Intercollegiate Tennis Association
AUSTIN, Texas -- University of Texas freshman Dimitar Kutrovsky and junior Luis Diaz Barriga have earned postseason accolades from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), as Kutrovsky was named the ITA South Central Region Rookie of the Year and Diaz Barriga was tabbed as the ITA South Central Region Player to Watch. Kutrovsky (Sofia, Bulgaria), who ranks 41st in the latest ITA singles rankings, has produced a 26-13 overall singles record in his initial season of collegiate tennis, including a 15-9 mark in dual-match play. He earned All-Big 12 singles honors after posting a 3-2 mark at No. 1 singles in league play before tacking on two more league wins at the 2007 Big 12 Championship, where he defeated Texas Tech's 37th-ranked Bojan Szumanski and Oklahoma State's 23rd-ranked Oleksandr Nedovyesov to help the Longhorns reach the Big 12 title match. Additionally, Kutrovsky teamed up with Texas freshman Josh Zavala (Amarillo, Texas) to earn All-Big 12 doubles honors. The Big 12 champion duo at No. 1 singles holds a 16-8 dual-match record. Diaz Barriga (Cordoba, Mexico) was selected as the ITA South Central Region Player to Watch after enjoying a breakout 2007 season. He owns a 27-3 overall singles record and an incredible 22-2 dual-match record, along with a 12-0 mark at No. 3 singles. He collected his first All-Big 12 singles selection after going 6-0 in conference play and became the first Longhorn since Pete Stroer in 2003 to complete an entire conference season with an unblemished record. Diaz Barriga played a pivotal role in the Longhorns' NCAA first- and second-round victories over Navy and Boise State, as he recorded the clinching points in both matches. The Player to Watch Award goes to a student-athlete poised to reach an elite level in collegiate tennis. Players who have not won an ITA regional event or reached the finals of an ITA national event are eligible for the award. Kutrovsky, Diaz Barriga and the rest of the Longhorns return to action on Thursday, May 17 in the NCAA round of 16. Eleventh-seeded Texas will meet 27th-ranked North Carolina State at the University of Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Complex at 8 a.m. CT.
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