Forest, Va. -- University of Lynchburg men's tennis student-athlete Ricards Spaks was awarded the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Men's Tennis Player of the Year award, announced by the conference office on Wednesday.

Sophomore Ricards Spaks becomes the first Hornets to be selected as the conference player of the year since 1986 when Pete Moran was honored with the accolade. The Latvia native received numerous counts of recognition throughout the season, including a regional ranking of No. 3 by the NCAA, three ODAC Singles Player of the Week awards, and four ODAC Doubles Pair of the Week awards.

Throughout the year, Spaks performed in the No. 1 spot for Lynchburg in every match. He finished the 2025-26 campaign with a 14-2 overall record and a flawless 7-0 record in conference play. Additionally, Spaks concluded the year with an 11-6 record in doubles action, going 6-2 against ODAC opponents.

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