April 19, 2012

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Greenwood, SC – The Peach Belt Conference announced its 2012 All-Conference teams at its annual awards banquette Thursday evening on the eve of the 21^st annual PBC Championship. The banquette was held in Greenwood, South Carolina.

Olivier Simonet was the lone Columbus State singles player to be named to this year's squad as the junior was honored with a second team All-PBC selection. Additionally, Simonet and his doubles partner Martin Shishkov, were a second team All-Conference selection for the play as a doubles tamdem.

Simonet is currently ranked 23^rd in the nation and has played all of his matches at first singles for the Cougars. He has a 9-8 record this season including a victory over first team All-PBC player Paul-Henri Arrigoni of Lander who was ranked 15^th in the nation at the time.

The Beziers, France native also defeated Stan Atema of Anderson, who is regionally ranked in the Southeast region, in straight sets.

Shishkov and Simonet are currently ranked sixth in the nation as a doubles pair. The duo is 12-7 overall including a 10-6 mark at first doubles. They are 2-2 against nationally ranked foes including defeating Jerome Leborgne and Johan Wadestin of Georgia College and the Francis Marion duo of Alex Caspari and Gavin Davison. Both the GC and FMU doubles pairs were named first team All-Conference selections.

It is the first time that Shishkov or Simonet have been honored by the PBC in their careers.

Armstrong Atlantic State University swept all the major awards for the third consecutive season. Georgi Rumenov was named the PBC Player of the Year while Sven Lalic was tabbed as the Freshman of the Year. Armstrong's coach Simon Earnshaw was honored with title of Coach of the Year.

Columbus State will take the court tomorrow morning as they face off against North Georgia in the first round of the PBC Tournament. The match is set to begin at 9:00 a.m. at the Joe Cabri Tennis Center in Greenwood.