April 16, 2008

IRVING, Texas - One senior, four juniors and a sophomore make up the 2008 Conference USA All-Academic Men's Tennis team. Rice placed two members on the team, while Memphis, SMU, Southern Miss and Tulsa each had one representative on the squad. Two student-athletes repeated the honor from last year's inaugural team.

Rice teammates Christoph Müller and Bruno Rosa were named to the all-academic team after leading their team to a 17-7 record. Müller, a senior, carries a 3.27 GPA in economics and managerial studies. A three-time selection to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll, he has posted an overall 20-11 singles mark and 17-12 doubles. Rosa maintains a 3.54 GPA as a mathematical economic analysis major. The sophomore opened his Rice career stringing together 14 consecutive singles victories that included the 2008 National Collegiate Tennis Classic singles championship. Rosa is also the reigning C-USA Men's Tennis Player of the Week, his fourth such honor of the Spring.

Juniors Benedikt Fischer of Memphis and Arnau Brugues of Tulsa are repeat selections to the All-Academic Team. With a perfect 4.00 GPA in International Business, Fischer is a two-time C-USA Academic Medal winner and spent three semesters on the Tiger 3.0 Club and Tiger Academic 30. The ITA Scholar Athlete returned from a wrist injury in the fall and is currently tied for the team lead for the most singles victories in dual season play.

Brugues garnered his second All-Academic recognition with a 3.69 GPA in exercise sports science. The two-time All-American is currently ranked No. 24 in singles play and No. 31 in doubles with an impressive 15-4 record this spring. Brugues was named the Conference USA Player of the Year in 2006 and 2007 and the Dean's List member was also selected to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First Team.

SMU senior David Kuczer is a psychology major with a 3.67 GPA. Playing at the No. 1 and 2 singles slots, Kuczer owns the Mustangs best singles record this season at 14-4 (with all four losses against Top 20 teams). He is a three-time selection to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll.

Southern Miss junior Domagoj Anic rounds out the 2008 squad with an impressive 3.88 GPA in finance and international business. Anic was a two-time Conference USA Academic Medalist, and has twice earned a spot on the President's List and the Dean's List at Southern Miss. The all-conference second-team selection is currently riding a five-match win streak with doubles partner Jan Burmeister at No. 2 doubles.

The 2008 Conference USA Men's Tennis Championship gets underway this Friday, April 18, with four first-round matches beginning at 8 a.m. CT at the brand new Turpin Tennis Center on the campus of SMU in Dallas. The semifinals are slated for Saturday at 11 a.m., while the championship match on Sunday will take place at Noon.

2007-08 C-USA MEN'S TENNIS ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Name	             School	Class	GPA	Major
*Benedikt Fischer	   Memphis	Jr.	4.00	International Business
Christoph Muller	      Rice	Jr.	3.27	Economics, Managerial Studies
Bruno Rosa	      Rice	So.	3.54 	 Mathematical Economic Analysis
David Kuczer	       SMU	Sr.	3.67	Psychology
Domagoj Anic	Southern Miss	Jr.	3.88	Finance/International Business
*Arnau Brugues	     Tulsa	Jr.	3.69	Exercise Sports Sciences
*Repeat Selection