CLEVELAND, Ohio – Three members of the Northern Illinois University men's tennis team were honored as the Mid-American Conference released its 2023 postseason awards on Wednesday (April 26). Iker Gaztambide Arrastia (Pamplona, Spain) was named the MAC Freshman of the Year while Oliver Valentinsson (Malmo, Sweden) and Mikael Vollbach (Rothis, Austria) each claimed Second Team All-MAC recognition. 

Gaztambide Arrastia is the second Huskie to be named MAC Freshman of the Year in the last three seasons, joining Vollbach who claimed the honor in 2021, and the eighth Huskie all-time to be awarded MAC Freshman/Newcomer of the Year. 

The Pamplona, Spain native recorded a 15-8 singles record in dual matches this season, including six victories in conference matches, with three of his four league setbacks coming in three sets. In doubles, Gaztambide Arrastia recorded an outstanding 12-1 mark in dual matches, going 4-1 paired with Valentinsson and 8-0 with Christopher Norlin (Stockholm, Sweden). Gaztambide Arrastia and Norlin were a perfect 7-0 in MAC matches. 

In the fall, Gaztambide Arrastia also won his flight at the River Forest Collegiate Invitational and earned three wins in the qualifying round of the ITA Regionals to earn a spot in the main draw, where he fell to the overall number one seed JJ Tracy of Ohio State. 

Valentinsson earned a 13-8 dual match record this spring, with all but three matches playing at number one or two. The Malmo, Sweden native posted a seven-match win streak between Feb. 17 and March 12 that included the opening two matches of league play. Valentinsson also scored 10 doubles wins, six playing alongside Armin Koschtojan (Halle, Germany) and four with Gaztambide Arrastia.

Valentinsson and Koschtojan also won their doubles flight at the River Forest Collegiate Invitational in the fall and reached the Round of 16 at the ITA Regionals. 

This is the third consecutive All-MAC honor for Valentinsson, who was named to the First Team in 2022 and the Second Team in 2021. 

Vollbach picked up his first career All-MAC award after posting a 14-6 singles mark in dual matches, with 11 of those wins coming at number three. The Rothis, Austria native won six conference matches, including two wins against MAC Champion Toledo. In doubles, Vollbach paired with Cheng En Tsai (Taipei, Taiwan) to go 15-5 in dual matches, playing all 20 at number one, with six conference wins. 

The pair also reached the Round of 16 at the ITA Regionals in the fall, where Vollbach also won a pair of qualifying round matches to reach the main draw. 

NIU finished the 2023 season with a 13-10 overall record. The Huskies have had 24 All-MAC performers during head coach Patrick Fisher's 14 seasons as head coach.