PORTLAND, Ore.—Lewis & Clark College men's tennis lead assistant coach
Phalkun Mam was named the West Regional Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Coach of the Year, the ITA announced on Monday morning.
Mam helped lead Lewis & Clark to their best season since 2016-17. The Pioneers finished 13-6 overall and 10-4 in Northwest Conference play. It marked the team's most wins and most conference victories in nearly a decade. With their 10-4 mark in conference play, Lewis & Clark earned the third-seed in the NWC Tournament for a second-consecutive season.
"It's awesome to see Coach Mam's years of dedication to our program be recognized by our peers and the ITA," head coach
Jimmy Chau said. "Phalkun's love for the college game shows every day in his dedication to the players in our program. While most of his time is spent on court developing our players and guiding them through tough matches, he can routinely be found going the extra mile to make our players' experience as meaningful and fun as possible. Phalkun's easy-going and cheery demeanor makes him a player favorite and an invaluable part of our program."
Men's Tennis kicked off their Spring season with a strong showing in Texas. They earned wins over the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (4-3), Schreiner University (7-0) and the Concordia University-Texas (7-0) and played a competitive match against #11 Trinity University (Texas). In conference play, the Pioneers posted wins against every team in the NWC except NWC Champions Whitman College. Lewis & Clark defeated George Fox University 5-2 on Senior Day, to earn their first win over the Bruins since the 2017-18 NWC Tournament.
Sophomores
Joey Lyon (First Team) and
Noah Sutin (Second Team) were both named to the NWC All-Conference Team at the conclusion of the season. The duo broke the program records for overall doubles wins (17-6) and conference doubles victories (11-2). Chau was also recognized, as he earned his first career Northwest Conference Coach of the Year award.
Mam is in his 12
th season with the program. He returned for his second stint with the Pioneers ahead of the 2019-20 season and has helped Lewis & Clark reach the NWC Tournament in each of the past five seasons.
