SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Elon University men’s tennis sophomore Stefan Fortmann was named the Southern Conference Men’s Tennis Player of the Month for March, the league office announced Friday, April 5.
 
Fortmann went 10-2 at No. 2 singles and 8-1 at No. 1 doubles in March, helping the Phoenix to a 10-2 team mark (6-0 SoCon) and into the ITA national rankings. Eight of Fortmann’s singles wins came in straight sets in the month and five wins came in league play.
 
The Wartburg, South Africa, native started his month with a straight-sets win over The Citadel’s Dillon Berkabile on March 3, starting a streak of seven straight victories before he suffered a three-set setback to Chattanooga’s Manuel Barroetavena on March 23. Fortmann then went 3-1 in singles play to end the month.
 
Paired with Cameron Silverman, the February SoCon Player of the Month, Fortmann won his final seven March doubles matches after dropping an 8-6 decision to USC Upstate’s Yvon Haessig and Gonzalo Blanco on March 9. Fortmann and Silverman, the 34th-ranked doubles duo in the country, won five matches by scores of 8-4 or better and took a 9-7 win over No. 52 Garrison Laduca and Zac Dunkle of Samford on March 24. Elon jumped into the ITA rankings at No. 72 on March 26.
 
The Phoenix returns to action at home this weekend against College of Charleston (April 6) and Georgia Southern (April 7). Follow live scoring for both matches here.