DURHAM – Duke freshman Pedro Rodenas and senior Andrew Zhang both were honored with team awards for their exceptional performances during the 2022-23 season.
Rodenas was selected the unanimous Charles Hamilton Hargrave Most Valuable Player, while Zhang earned the fifth annual Robert C. Taylor Leadership Award for the second consecutive season. The MVP accolade, which was presented for the seventh-straight season, is a joint award with the women’s team.
Charles Hamilton Hargrave was one of the first men’s team captains for Duke, lettering in 1927-28. His family wanted to keep his memory alive within the Blue Devil tennis program and endowed the MVP award in his name.
The Lucile and Clarence Dragert Charitable Fund of Communities Foundation of Texas enabled the leadership award in Robert C. Taylor’s name. Taylor was a 1949 Duke graduate and member of the tennis program. Taylor was President of Sigma Alpha Epsilon as an undergraduate and received his degree from Duke Law School in 1952. Taylor, who went on to become a tax attorney and public servant in the Dallas area, received the Charles A. Duke Award in 2008 for his longstanding support and service to the school.
Rodenas, the 2023 ACC Rookie of the Year and Second Team All-ACC selection, leads the Blue Devils with a 31-6 singles record and a 22-5 doubles mark. Playing mostly at the No. 2 singles position, Rodenas heads into the NCAA Super Regional with an unblemished 17-0 ledger in that spot and holds a team-best 26-2 dual-match record. In addition, the Madrid, Spain, product leads the team in match-clinching victories with six and holds a 7-3 ledger against nationally ranked opponents as well as an 11-1 ACC record. The lefty broke into the national rankings midway through the year and currently sits at No. 52.
In doubles action with senior Garrett Johns, the pair garnered First Team All-ACC recognition after ranking in the top-50 throughout most of the year, including a No. 25 ranking heading into the NCAA Super Regional. The duo played on Duke’s top two courts, holding a winning record on both, including a 10-1 mark on court one. The twosome finished ACC play with a 7-0 ledger and went 3-0 against nationally ranked opponents, including victories over the No. 20 and No. 27 ranked duos.
“Pedro is clearly deserving of this prestigious…
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