Pirate freshman tennis sensation Hironori Koyanagi was named to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-Star Team for 2015. Koyanagi, who completed a perfect 23-0 in claiming the CCCAA State Championship at The Ojai Tournament in April, was the lone male JC/CC honoree on the national list that highlights players through the NCAA Division I level.
Koyanagi became the third Pirate to win the state singles championship. His 23-0 record during the season is only surpassed by the fact that he did not lose a single set during the campaign. Koyanagi and doubles partner Corey Karen also finished at 19-2 for the year, falling in the state semifinals at The Ojai. Koyanagi also claimed the Western State Conference singles and doubles titles in leading VC to the conference championship.
Last fall, Koyanagi claimed the USTA/ITA Southern California Regional singles and doubles titles, as well.
Koyanagi is included with 25 other male and female elite collegiate tennis players on the 2015 ITA Collegiate All-Star Team, a collection of the most accomplished student-athletes from each of the college divisions during the 2014-15 season. Oracle and the ITA will recognize these honorees, along with the ITA/Arthur Ashe Jr. National Leadership and Sportsmanship Award winners, at the Oracle/ITA Outing & Awards Luncheon held at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, NY, on Friday, August 28. USTA Eastern will participate as an event partner.
Inaugurated in 1984, the ITA All-Star Team honors the nation's top-ranked men's and women's players from the year-end Oracle/ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings and spans the five competitive divisions: NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior & Community Colleges. Also receiving honors are the winners of the 2014 USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships and 2015 NCAA Division I Championships.
"The ITA would like to congratulate this fantastic group of student-athletes for their outstanding play and sportsmanship during this past season," said ITA Executive Director David A Benjamin.
As the governing body of collegiate tennis, the ITA promotes both the athletic and academic achievements of the collegiate tennis community. The ITA, which is comprised of nearly 1,700 men's and women's varsity coaches representing over 1,200 institutions, administers numerous regional and national championships and the ITA College Tennis Rankings for over 20,000 college varsity student-athletes at the NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior College levels. The ITA also has a comprehensive awards program for players and coaches to honor excellence in academics, leadership and sportsmanship. The official ITA website is www.itatennis.com.
