Baylor MT’s Soto Named Big 12 Player of the Week

[Calderone, Max]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – April 20, 2021

MT’s Soto Named Big 12 Player of the Week
Baylor’s season leader in ranked wins picks up second-career weekly honor
For more information contact: Max Calderone, 254-265-1639, Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu<mailto:Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu>

IRVING, Texas – Baylor fourth-year junior Matias Soto has been named the Big 12 Men’s Tennis Player of the Week, as announced by the conference office on Tuesday.

The Copiapo, Chile, native shares this week’s honors with Texas sophomore Eliot Spizzirri as co-winners.

Soto had a dominant week for the Bears, collecting three ranked wins over two matches as BU clinched a share of the Big 12 regular-season title. In doubles alongside Nick Stachowiak, the Bears defeated UT’s No. 76-ranked pairing of Cleeve Harper/Chih Chi Huang 7-6 (7-4) on Thursday to open Soto’s slate of action. He also earned a three-set victory in singles over No. 26 Micah Braswell, taking down the Longhorn 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.

Then on Sunday, with the Bears needing a road win at No. 6 TCU to earn a share of the league title, Soto turned it on by upsetting No. 8 Alistair Gray in straight sets. Committing just one unforced error in the match, Soto breezed to a 6-0, 6-1 victory as part of Baylor’s conference title-clinching win. It was the highest ranked win of the season for No. 16 Soto, who is also ranked at No. 67 with Stachowiak in the doubles poll.

Soto now leads the Bears with eight ranked wins this season. He and Stachowiak are also tied for the team lead with 10 doubles victories.

This is Soto’s second-career weekly Big 12 award as he was previously honored on March 19, 2019. This is the third conference honor of the season for the Bears and 51st all-time.

Baylor earned the No. 2 seed for the upcoming Big 12 Championship tournament, set to be held in Waco at the Hurd Tennis Center. The Bears will face the winner of No. 3 TCU and No. 6 Oklahoma on Sunday at 4 p.m. CT with a chance to book a spot in the tournament final.

For the latest news on the Baylor men’s tennis team all season long, follow their official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorMTennis.

2021 BIG 12 WEEKLY AWARDS

Feb. 16 – Charlie Broom, Gr.
March 23 – Adrian Boitan, So.
April 20 – Matias Soto, Jr.

-BaylorBears.com-


__________________________________

Max Calderone | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (VB, MTEN, EQ)
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
O: 254-710-3073 | C: 254-265-1639

[signature_927353425]<http://baylorbears.com/>

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