Lebanon, IL - With the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament on the horizon, Tennis All-Conference honors are starting to be handed out, and the McKendree University Men's Tennis team was represented on multiple counts. 

The listings were led by Ignacio Paolini, who was named the Men's Tennis Freshman of the Year for the GLVC. Paolini joins Jordi Leston (2023) as the second-ever Bearcat to win Freshman of the Year. He went 10-12 overall and 1-3 in GLVC action at No. 1, 2, and 3 singles. He partnered with Bendix Schroeder at No. 1 doubles, going 6-7 overall and 1-3 against GLVC foes. Paolini helped McKendree go 10-13 overall and 2-2 in GLVC action to claim the third seed in the East Division for the GLVC Tournament. By earning this honor, Paolini also gets named to the All-GLVC First Team.

Head Coach Chance Joost on Paolini:
"Nacho's goal was to be freshman of the year and now he has achieved it and much more. I'm so proud of him. He has such a huge future here. I see a future top 20 player here if he keeps working the way he did this year."  

Bendix Schroeder joins his doubles partner on the list, being named All-GLVC First Team. Schroeder was 9-10 playing at No. 2 singles in the spring, going 3-1 in conference. His doubles highlight was beating the #40-ranked team of Northwest Missouri State and the #33-ranked team from Ferris State. Schroeder was also the top student for entrepreneurship at McKendree this year. 

Head Coach Chance Joost on Schroeder:
"Bendix has been a captain both years for me here. His tennis has grown as much as he has as a human being. I'm super proud of him and so happy he could cap off his career this way and with the Sportsmanship award." 

The Bearcats open up the GLVC Men's Tennis Tournament on Friday, May 1st, when they play Rockhurst at 9:30 AM at Greenwood, Indiana's Center Grove High School.