UC Santa Barbara’s Nicolas de Alboran has been named a NCAA Division 1 tennis All-American.
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) announced the senior as one of the 96 individuals to earn the honor.
“Nic has done so much for this program, both on and off the court, and I just could not be happier for him and this accomplishment,” Head Coach Marty Davis said. “I was lucky enough to coach the best Gaucho of all time and I am grateful.”
Moreno de Alboran is the third UCSB men’s tennis player to earn Division I All-American honors, joining Kip Brady who won it in 1989 and David Decret in 1992.
The senior finished the year 28-9 overall and 15-3 in dual match play. Primarily playing at the No. 1 court, Moreno de Alboran accumulated a 14-2 record.
Moreno de Alboran has set a litany of program records, including reaching the highest ranking of any UCSB player (as high as No. 6).
The New York native was also part of the first pair in UCSB men’s tennis history to win a round at the NCAA Doubles Championships at the Division I level earlier this month.
This year, Moreno de Alboran was also named Big West Player of the Year for the second consecutive season and earned First Team honors in singles for the fourth-straight year, becoming just the sixth player in league history to do so.
Recently, Moreno de Alboran was invited to an exclusive 16 player wild-card tournament at the USTA National Campus in Orlando on June 24.
The tournament boasts the top eight American college players and eight of the top young players at the pro level.
The USTA highlighted Moreno de Alboran as one of top eight American college players. The full field will be announced closer to the date.
“This is such a great opportunity for Nic to get a jump on his pro career and I really do think Nic has what it takes to make it to the next level,” said Davis. “He is nowhere near maxed out on his potential and growth. I believe that right now he plays at a 300 level at the pro tour and it’s tough to make it in professional tennis, but I think he can.”