MOUNT OLIVE – The University of Mount Olive men's tennis program was well represented when Conference Carolinas announced its 2026 Men's Tennis All-Conference honors on Wednesday morning, highlighted by two major individual awards and four All-Conference selections.
Mount Olive saw Rasmus Grindheim named Freshman of the Year, while head coach Andrew Sendek earned Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Trojans to a dominant regular season.
Grindheim made an immediate impact in his first collegiate season, posting a 7-2 record at No. 4 singles and a 6-1 mark in conference play. He also contributed significantly in doubles, finishing with an 11-3 overall record, including a 6-2 mark in league action.
Under Sendek's leadership, Mount Olive compiled a perfect 11-0 conference record, finishing 13-4 overall. The Trojans posted five 7-0 sweeps and four 6-1 victories in league play, while riding an 11-match win streak and remaining unbeaten at home with a 7-0 mark. Their performance secured the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Conference Carolinas Men's Tennis Championship.
In addition to the major awards, Mount Olive placed four student-athletes on the All-Conference teams.
First Team All-Conference honors went to
Bram Poel and
Kristoffer Dalbak. Poel turned in an outstanding season, going 11-3 in singles play, including an 8-1 mark in conference action. He also excelled in doubles with an 11-4 record, highlighted by a 7-2 conference mark at the No. 1 position. Dalbak contributed heavily in doubles play, posting an 11-4 overall record and a 7-2 mark in conference matches, while also competing at the top singles position throughout the season.
Niklas Gruenefeldt earned Second Team All-Conference recognition following an impressive campaign. He recorded a 10-1 record at No. 3 singles and went 7-1 in conference play, while also contributing an 11-3 overall doubles record.
Hiroma Nishikata earned Third Team All-Conference honors after delivering one of the most efficient seasons in the league. Nishikata went a perfect 7-0 in conference singles play and finished 11-1 overall, including a 6-0 record at the No. 6 position.
Mount Olive now turns its attention to the postseason. As the No. 1 seed, the Trojans will compete at the Conference Carolinas Men's Tennis Championship held at the Palmetto Tennis Center in Sumter. With two byes, Mount Olive advances directly to the semifinals and is set to play on Friday, April 24 at 9 a.m.
