ANNVILLE, Pa. – Senior Michael Capozzi (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/San Judas Tadeo) continued to make Valiant men's tennis history by earning Freedom Conference Player of the Year honors for a record-breaking third straight season to lead a pair of players earning All-Freedom Conference recognition, the conference office announced on Monday afternoon.
 
Capozzi was named to the All-Conference first team for the fourth straight year in addition to his Player of the Year honors, while classmate Dean Tahir (Yonkers, N.Y./Saunders) earned his first career All-Freedom recognition with a spot on the second team.
 
Capozzi is the first player in program history and only the second player ever at Manhattanville to earn conference Player of the Year honors three times in a career, joining women's soccer phenom Susan Horton '03, who received the honor from the Skyline Conference from 2000-02. He also extends Manhattanville's streak of Player of the Year honorees to four straight years, going back to then-sophomore Julian Oribe '11 picking up the honor in 2009.
 
Capozzi completed another successful season on the courts for Manhattanville in 2012, going a perfect 5-0 in singles play against Freedom Conference foes and adding a 3-2 record at first doubles. Overall, the senior went 13-9 in singles competition and also chipped in nine doubles wins as well for his fourth straight season of 20 or more wins.
 
One of the most dominant players in conference history, he lost only one Freedom singles match and five total sets in singles competition (22-1) over four years and won a combined 40 of his 46 conference matches in singles and doubles play. He did not lose much more overall, posting a 64-19 singles record and 61-28 doubles mark as a Valiant, easily setting new school records for singles wins, doubles wins and overall victories.  In addition, Capozzi was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American as a junior and earned the MAC Men's Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year award just last month.
 
Tahir also completes his collegiate career with All-Conference honors, the first in his four years at Manhattanville. Against Freedom Conference opponents, the senior went 3-1 at both second singles and first doubles as a senior, going 6-11overall in singles play and 7-11 in doubles competition.
 
The senior will also leave as one of the most successful players in program history, graduating in third place in career doubles wins (47) and tied for sixth in career singles triumphs (32). In Freedom Conference play, Tahir went 16-4 in doubles and 11-5 in singles competition over his four years.
 
Manhattanville completed the 2012 season with a 3-9 (3-2 Freedom) record and earned its fifth straight berth in the Freedom Conference Tournament. 

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