Akimenko, a native of Donetsk, Ukraine, was named All-Mountain East Conference First Team for the second time in his career after earning First-Team All-MEC honors in 2014 as well. It was the third time the senior was named all-conference as he was tabbed All-Mid-South Conference honorable mention in 2013.
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Akimenko led the Cavs this season at the top singles spot, winning seven of his last eight singles matches and seven of his last nine doubles matches. The righty lost only one singles match the entire month of April, a defeat to the then top-ranked singles player in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Atlantic Region. Teaming with sophomore Andrii Rutnytskyi (Odessa, Ukraine) at the No. 1 doubles position, the duo went 5-2 in April and played an integral part in the Cavs’ MEC tournament quarterfinal (5-4) win over Fairmont State. Akimenko and Rutnytskyi defeated the Fighting Falcons’ Micah Hornak and Aaron Leo 8-4 at the top spot before Akimenko took down Hornak in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, at No. 1 singles.
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The last week of March, Vlad was tabbed MEC Men’s Tennis Player of the Week after helping UVa-Wise to an undefeated weekend where he went a combined 4-0 in singles and doubles.
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