The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Spizzirri named Big 12 Men’s Tennis Player of the Week
02.20.2024 | Men's Tennis
Senior Eliot Spizzirri extends his own Big 12 career record with his 11th weekly conference honor.
Austin – Texas Men's Tennis senior Eliot Spizzirri has been named Big 12 Men's Tennis Player of the Week for the week ending February 18, the conference announced Tuesday. With the honor, he extends his own Big 12 career record with his 11th weekly conference honor.
It also marks the second award of the season for the Longhorns after senior Cleeve Harper picked up the award for the week ending January 7.
Spizzirri secured three top-50 singles victories against Nos. 5, 17 and 50, along with a doubles win against No. 6, in leading Texas to sweeps over No. 4 South Carolina and No. 13 Michigan at the ITA National Indoor Championships. The wins came after the Longhorns rebounded from a 4-2 loss to No. 14 Arizona in the Round of 16.
Spizzirri dropped his first singles set at the ITA Indoors to No. 5 Colton Smith of Arizona in a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory, but from there rattled off six straight sets with his opponents winning more than three games in only one of those. His wins against No. 17 Gavin Young of Michigan (6-1, 6-2) and No. 50 Toby Samuel of South Carolina (6-3, 6-2) provided Texas with 3-0 leads in both matches. Spizzirri and his doubles partner Harper also registered a 6-3 win over the No. 6 duo of Smith and Jay Friend of Arizona.
The Greenwich, Conn. native is now 16-2 overall in singles this year, including an 8-1 mark in dual matches with an active six-match winning streak. Six of his 16 wins have come against top-25 opponents with two more in the top-100.
The Longhorns return to the court on Wednesday, Feb. 28, against St. John's at the Texas Tennis Center.
Players Mentioned
