University of North Carolina Athletics
Luchici Named All-ACC For Third Straight Year
April 19, 2006 | Men's Tennis
April 19, 2006
GREENSBORO, N.C. - North Carolina senior Raian Luchici of Timisoara, Romania was named Wednesday morning to the 2006 All-Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Tennis Team. This is the third successive year that Luchici has earned All-ACC honors.
Twelve members of the team are determined by the winners of individual flights during ACC regular season play at No. 1-6 singles and No. 1-3 doubles. The remaining six spots on the All-ACC Team are decided by a vote of the league's 12 head coaches. Luchici was honored with one of those spots. Luchici is currently ranked No. 7 in the country in singles and is No. 7 in the nation in doubles with senior partner Brad Pomeroy of Asheville, N.C.
Virginia placed six student-athletes on the 2006 All-Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Tennis Team, while Miami added four and Duke had three on the team, as announced Tuesday. Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina, NC State and Wake Forest had one player each make the team. Miami swept the major awards, marking the first time in league history that one school has won all three.
Miami junior Luigi D'Agord was named the ACC's Player of the Year after posting a 31-4 overall record on the season. D'Agord went 17-1 in dual matches, and was perfect in ACC play, going 11-0 to lead the Hurricanes to a share of first place in the league. A three-time ACC Performer of the Week this season, D'Agord posted a stellar 18-3 record against ranked opponents on the year. The Freeport, Bahamas, native is ranked fourth in the nation in the latest Fila/ITA rankings, and becomes the first Miami player to be named Player of the Year.
Miami freshman Daniel Vallverdu was tabbed the ACC Freshman of the Year. The rookie from Valencia, Venezuela, went 16-5 overall in the year, including a 13-5 dual-meet mark and a 9-2 record in ACC play. Vallverdu played 13 matches at the No. 2 singles spot this season, turning in an 11-2 mark. He ended the regular season ranked 102nd in the nation, and forms the No. 15 doubles combination with D'Agord. Vallverdu becomes Miami's first Freshman of the Year.
Miami head coach Mario Rincon was voted the ACC Coach of the Year after leading his Hurricanes to a remarkable turnaround. Just one season removed from a 12-11 campaign that saw Miami finish ninth in the ACC with a 2-8 record, the second-year head coach has directed the Hurricanes to a 17-3 mark and a 9-2 ACC record, good for a share of first place in the league. Rincon has Miami ranked in the top 10 in the nation, and seeded third heading into the ACC Men's Tennis Championships this weekend in Cary, N.C. Rincon becomes the first Miami skipper to be named Coach of the Year.
2006 All-ACC Team
Clement Reix............................. Clemson
Stephen Amritraj............................ Duke
Peter Rodrigues.............................. Duke
Ludovic Walter............................... Duke
Ytai Abougzir..................... Florida State
Luigi D'Agord............................... Miami
Eric Hechtman.............................. Miami
John Hoyes................................... Miami
Daniel Vallverdu........................... Miami
Raian Luchici.................. North Carolina
William Noblitt......................... NC State
Darrin Cohen.............................. Virginia
Somdev Devvarman................... Virginia
Treat Huey................................. Virginia
Nick Meythaler........................... Virginia
Rylan Rizza................................ Virginia
Doug Stewart............................. Virginia
Todd Paul........................... Wake Forest
Player of the Year
Luigi D'Agord, Miami
Freshman of the Year
Daniel Vallverdu, Miami
Coach of the Year
Mario Rincon, Miami
Players Mentioned
