April 17, 2009
ATLANTA – Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year Dean O’Brien has elected to join the Georgia Tech men’s tennis team for the 2010 season, head coach Kenny Thorne announced Friday.
O’Brien, who signed a financial aid agreement Friday, will transfer from Tennessee Tech and have two years of eligibility remaining for the Yellow Jackets.
“We are very excited about Dean joining our team next year,” Thorne said. “He will bring two years of college experience, and he is capable of playing toward the top of most lineups in the ACC.”
A native of Benmore, South Africa, O’Brien was named Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year after posting a perfect 8-0 record in conference play at the No. 1 position for the Golden Eagles. The sophomore currently holds a 19-6 overall singles record, while going 17-1 in dual match play. His only dual loss came to the Jackets 11th-ranked Guillermo Gomez on March 17. The two-time All-OVC honoree has won 11-straight matches since that defeat.
In two seasons at Tennessee Tech, O’Brien compiled an overall singles record of 36-10 while going 25-13 in doubles.
“He [O’Brien] will fit into our team well because he has a very good work ethic and he is a very good person,” Thorne added. “With no one graduating and his addition, we should be much improved from this year.”
O’Brien will lead the Golden Eagles (11-7, 6-2 OVC) in the first round of the OVC Tennis Tournament this weekend.
