COLUMBUS, Miss. -  In a season chock full of "firsts," The W men's tennis can add another to its list, as Jorge Ortiz (Santa Cruz, Bolivia) has been tabbed as the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) South Division Player of the Week. Ortiz is the first-ever Owl men's tennis player to earn the UMAC's weekly award, since becoming a league member in 2023-24.

"It's special anytime someone earns conference Player of the Week," The W first-year head Coach Hayden Embry, architect of the program's upswing, said. "But to have it be the first in MUW history makes it unforgettable. Jorge has earned every bit of it. We're proud of him, and we're motivated to keep this record-breaking season going."

Playing No. 1 doubles and singles, Ortiz helped engineer MUW's 6-1 drubbing of regional rival LaGrange College last Friday on the road. And he did so in dominant fashion.

Starting the day with doubles, Ortiz and partner Sandro Giangregario blanked the Panthers' tandem by a 6-0 score, leading the Owls' sweep in pairs play. The win improved Ortiz's doubles record to 2-0 on the young season.

Then, in No. 1 singles, Ortiz made short work of LaGrange's Mike Strydom, winning in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3.

The W program has never won more than two matches in any of its previous seven seasons in the program's history. The Owls, currently 2-2 in 2025-26, will take their first swing to add that record to their collection when the team travels to face a strong Belhaven University squad, on Thursday (Feb. 19/1 p.m.) in Jackson, Mississippi.