July 11, 2014

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina men’s tennis was named an ITA All-Academic Team and three Gamecocks earned ITA Scholar-Athlete status, the organization announced Thursday. It marks the third-straight season and the sixth time overall that South Carolina has earned the team honor. Junior Kyle Koch made his third Scholar-Athlete appearance, while junior Andrew Adams and freshman Sam Swank made their debuts on the list.

To earn ITA All-Academic Team honors, a team must have a cumulative team grade point average (GPA) of 3.20 or higher for the current academic year. The Scholar-Athlete award goes to individuals who earn a varsity letter, have a GPA of at least 3.50 for the current academic year and have been enrolled at their present school for at least two semesters.

The Gamecocks finished the 2013-14 campaign with their third-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, advancing to the second round of the event for the first time since 2005. South Carolina finished the season winning nine of its last 14 matches, moving from No. 48 in the nation to a final ranking of No. 27 during the stretch.

Koch’s junior season was as productive on the court as it was in the classroom as he closed the campaign on an 11-match singles win streak that turned his slow start to the spring into a 17-12 overall record, which included a team-best eight SEC victories. Adams added the academic recognition to his All-America season, advancing to the round of 16 at the NCAA Singles Championship with a win over the No. 3 player in the nation for his third top-20 win of the season. He and Koch teamed up in doubles to form the Gamecocks’ most productive tandem with a 12-5 dual-match record, highlighted by an 8-3 mark in SEC action. Swank turned in a solid 7-4 singles record in his freshman effort, including a perfect 4-0 mark in dual-match play.

South Carolina was one of seven SEC teams to earn All-Academic honors. Adams, Koch and Swank were three of the league’s 28 Scholar-Athletes recognized for their efforts in the classroom.