Austin Smith Is SEC Player of the Week

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Austin Smith Is SEC Player of the Week

ITA regional awards
Austin Smith (photo by John Kelley)
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Georgia junior Austin Smith has been named the SEC Player of the Week following his performance against Tennessee and Kentucky, it was announced Wednesday by the conference office.


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Smith went 3-0 last weekend, including one match clincher, to help the Bulldogs claim two SEC road wins and remain in first place in the conference standings. Smith’s first match was in doubles where he and Ben Wagland beat the nation’s second-ranked and defending NCAA champions Mikelis Libietis and Hunter Reese of Tennessee, 6-4. Smith and Wagland rose to No. 7 in the country last week, and they are 7-1 on the season with five wins against doubles teams ranked in the top-12. Smith would go on to clinch Georgia’s 4-0 victory against Tennessee with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Hunter Reese at No. 2.
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Against Kentucky, the Bulldogs fell behind 2-0, but No. 30 Smith tied the match at 2-2 with his 6-3, 7-6(6) against Jerry Lopez at the No. 2 spot. Georgia eventually won 4-2 to improve to 13-2 overall and 6-0 in the SEC. Smith has now won five consecutive completed matches, and he leads the team with 16 combined singles and doubles wins against ranked opponents.
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This marks the fourth time a Georgia player has garnered an SEC honor this season. Wayne Montgomery has been named SEC Freshman of the Week three times.
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Smith and the Bulldogs return to action Thursday at 2:30 p.m. against East Tennessee State.

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